Standard Lemma guide

unprincipled

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ʌnˈpɹɪnsɪpəld/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N P R IH1 N S AH0 P AH0 L D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Lacking moral values.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

lacking principles or moral scruples- A.E.Stevenson

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • freedom from coarse unprincipled calumny

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: principled

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

having little or no integrity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English principle English -ed English principled English unprincipled From un- + principled.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: безпринципен (bezprincipen) — lacking moral values
  • Danish: principløs — lacking moral values
  • Dutch: principeloos — lacking moral values
  • Dutch: beginselloos — lacking moral values
  • Dutch: gewetenloos — lacking moral values
  • French: dénué de principes — lacking moral values
  • French: sans scrupule — lacking moral values
  • French: amoral — lacking moral values
  • German: gewissenlos — lacking moral values
  • German: prinzipienlos — lacking moral values
  • German: prinzipienfrei — lacking moral values
  • Italian: senza scrupoli — lacking moral values
  • Norwegian Bokmål: prinsippløs — lacking moral values
  • Norwegian Bokmål: prinsipplaus — lacking moral values
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: prinsipplaus — lacking moral values
  • Polish: niegodziwy — lacking moral values
  • Polish: bezpodstawny — lacking moral values
  • Russian: беспринци́пный (besprincípnyj) — lacking moral values
  • Spanish: sin escrúpulos — lacking moral values
  • Spanish: inescrupuloso — lacking moral values
  • Spanish: ímprobo — lacking moral values
  • Spanish: de moral relajada — lacking moral values
  • Spanish: inmoral — lacking moral values
  • Spanish: sinvergüenza — lacking moral values
  • Ukrainian: безпринци́пний (bezpryncýpnyj) — lacking moral values