If you describe a person or their actions as unprincipled, you are criticizing them for their lack of moral principles and because they do things which are immoral or dishonest.
[disapproval]
It is a market where people can be very unprincipled and unpleasant.
...the unprincipled behaviour of the prosecutor's office during the crisis.
Synonyms: dishonest, corrupt, crooked [informal], immoral More Synonyms of unprincipled
unprincipled in British English
(ʌnˈprɪnsɪpəld)
adjective
1.
lacking moral principles; unscrupulous
2. (foll by in) archaic
not versed in the principles of (a subject)
Derived forms
unprincipledness (unˈprincipledness)
noun
unprincipled in American English
(ʌnˈprɪnsəpəld)
adjective
characterized by lack of moral principles; unscrupulous
Synonyms of 'unprincipled'
dishonest, corrupt, crooked, immoral
More Synonyms of unprincipled
(adjective)
Definition
lacking moral principles
the unprincipled behaviour of the prosecutor's office
Synonyms
dishonest
He had become rich by dishonest means.
corrupt
corrupt politicians who took bribes
crooked (informal)
She might expose his crooked business deals to the authorities.
immoral
It is immoral to persist with a system that impoverishes so many people.
tricky
They could encounter some tricky political manoeuvring.
unscrupulous
These kids are being exploited by very unscrupulous people.
devious
She tracked down the other woman by devious means.
unethical
I thought it was unethical for doctors to operate upon family members.
unprofessional
He was fined for unprofessional conduct.
amoral
deceitful
The ambassador called the report deceitful and misleading.
underhand
The Prime Minister had been involved in underhand financial deals.
dishonourable
He insisted he had done nothing dishonourable.
unconscionable
He calls the reductions an unconscionable threat to public safety.
Opposites
honest
,
moral
,
decent
,
ethical
,
upright
,
honourable
,
righteous
,
virtuous
,
scrupulous
Additional synonyms
in the sense of corrupt
Definition
open to or involving bribery or other dishonest practices
corrupt politicians who took bribes
Synonyms
dishonest,
bent (slang),
crooked (informal),
rotten,
shady (informal),
fraudulent,
unscrupulous,
unethical,
venal,
unprincipled,
bribable
in the sense of crooked
Definition
dishonest or illegal
She might expose his crooked business deals to the authorities.
Synonyms
dishonest,
criminal,
illegal,
corrupt,
dubious,
questionable,
unlawful,
shady (informal),
fraudulent,
unscrupulous,
under-the-table,
bent (slang),
shifty,
deceitful,
underhand,
unprincipled,
dishonourable,
nefarious,
knavish (archaic)
in the sense of deceitful
Definition
full of deceit
The ambassador called the report deceitful and misleading.
Synonyms
dishonest,
false,
deceiving,
fraudulent,
treacherous,
deceptive,
hypocritical,
counterfeit,
crafty,
sneaky,
illusory,
two-faced,
disingenuous,
untrustworthy,
underhand,
insincere,
double-dealing,
duplicitous,
fallacious,
guileful,
knavish (archaic)
Nearby words of
unprincipled
unprepared
unprepossessing
unpretentious
unprincipled
unproductive
unprofessional
unprofitable
Synonyms of 'unprincipled'
unprincipled
Explore 'unprincipled' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of devious
Definition
insincere and dishonest
She tracked down the other woman by devious means.
Synonyms
sly,
scheming,
calculating,
tricky,
crooked (informal),
indirect,
treacherous,
dishonest,
wily,
insidious,
evasive,
deceitful,
underhand,
insincere,
surreptitious,
double-dealing,
not straightforward
in the sense of dishonourable
He insisted he had done nothing dishonourable.
Synonyms
shameful,
base,
corrupt,
infamous,
disgraceful,
treacherous,
scandalous,
unscrupulous,
shameless,
despicable,
ignominious,
disreputable,
contemptible,
untrustworthy,
unprincipled,
ignoble,
not cricket (informal),
discreditable,
blackguardly
in the sense of immoral
Definition
sexually depraved or promiscuous
It is immoral to persist with a system that impoverishes so many people.
Synonyms
wicked,
bad,
wrong,
abandoned,
evil,
corrupt,
vicious,
obscene,
indecent,
vile,
degenerate,
dishonest,
sinful,
unethical,
lewd,
depraved,
impure,
debauched,
unprincipled,
nefarious,
dissolute,
iniquitous,
reprobate
in the sense of tricky
Definition
sly or wily
They could encounter some tricky political manoeuvring.
Synonyms
crafty,
scheming,
subtle,
cunning,
slippery,
sly,
deceptive,
devious,
wily,
artful,
foxy,
deceitful
in the sense of unconscionable
Definition
unscrupulous or unprincipled
He calls the reductions an unconscionable threat to public safety.
Synonyms
criminal,
unethical,
amoral,
unprincipled,
unfair,
unjust
in the sense of underhand
Definition
sly, deceitful, and secretive
The Prime Minister had been involved in underhand financial deals.
Synonyms
sly,
secret,
crooked (informal),
devious,
sneaky,
secretive,
fraudulent,
treacherous,
dishonest,
deceptive,
clandestine,
unscrupulous,
crafty,
unethical,
furtive,
deceitful,
surreptitious,
stealthy,
dishonourable,
below the belt (informal),
underhanded
in the sense of unethical
Definition
morally wrong
I thought it was unethical for doctors to operate upon family members.
Synonyms
immoral,
wrong,
improper,
illegal,
dirty,
unfair,
shady (informal),
dishonest,
unscrupulous,
under-the-table,
unprofessional,
disreputable,
underhand,
unprincipled,
dishonourable,
not cricket (informal)
in the sense of unprofessional
Definition
not behaving according to the standards expected of a member of a particular profession
He was fined for unprofessional conduct.
Synonyms
unethical,
unfitting,
improper,
lax,
negligent,
unworthy,
unseemly,
unprincipled
in the sense of unscrupulous
Definition
prepared to act in a dishonest or immoral manner
These kids are being exploited by very unscrupulous people.