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
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/ˌʌnˈskɹuːpjʊləs/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AH0 N S K R UW1 P Y AH0 L AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Without scruples; immoral.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Contemptuous of what is right or honorable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
without scruples or principles
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
unscrupulous politicos who would be happy to sell...their country in order to gain power
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: scrupulous
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 scrupulous English unscrupulous From un- + scrupulous.
Across languages
Translations
54 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
vicdansız
— without scruples
Azerbaijani:
insafsız
— without scruples
Bulgarian:
безскрупулен
(bezskrupulen)
— without scruples
Chinese Mandarin:
肆無忌憚 /肆无忌惮
(sìwújìdàn)
— without scruples
Czech:
bezskrupulózní
— without scruples
Czech:
bezohledný
— without scruples
Danish:
skrupelløs
— without scruples
Dutch:
onscrupuleus
— without scruples
Dutch:
gewetenloos
— without scruples
Estonian:
siivutu
— without scruples
Finnish:
häikäilemätön
— without scruples
French:
inscrupuleux
— without scruples
French:
peu scrupuleux
— without scruples
French:
sans scrupule
— without scruples
Galician:
sen escrúpulos
— without scruples
German:
skrupellos
— without scruples
German:
rücksichtslos
— without scruples
German:
gewissenlos
— without scruples
German:
hemmungslos
— without scruples
German:
bedenkenlos
— without scruples
German:
unnachsichtig
— without scruples
Hungarian:
lelkiismeretlen
— without scruples
Icelandic:
samviskulaus
— without scruples
Irish:
gan scrupall
— without scruples
Italian:
senza scrupoli
— without scruples
Macedonian:
несо́весен
(nesóvesen)
— without scruples
Macedonian:
бессо́весен
(bessóvesen)
— without scruples
Macedonian:
непринципие́лен
(neprincipiélen)
— without scruples
Macedonian:
беспри́нципен
(bespríncipen)
— without scruples
Macedonian:
бескрупуло́зен
(beskrupulózen)
— without scruples
Māori:
kōroiroii
— without scruples
Norwegian Bokmål:
skruppelløs
— without scruples
Norwegian Nynorsk:
skruppellaus
— without scruples
Polish:
bez skrupułów
— without scruples
Portuguese:
inescrupuloso
— without scruples
Russian:
беспринци́пный
(besprincípnyj)
— without scruples
Spanish:
inescrupuloso
— without scruples
Swedish:
skrupelfri
— without scruples
Turkish:
ahlaksız
— without scruples
Turkish:
terbiyesiz
— without scruples
Turkish:
vicdansız
— without scruples
Uyghur:
ۋىجدانسىز
(wijdansiz)
— without scruples
Chinese Mandarin:
不擇手段的 /不择手段的
(bùzéshǒuduàn de)
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Czech:
bezcharakterní
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Estonian:
sündsusetu
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Finnish:
häikäilemätön
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
German:
skrupellos
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Greek:
αδίστακτος
(adístaktos)
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Hungarian:
gátlástalan
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Hungarian:
lelkiismeretlen
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Māori:
kōroiroi
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Norwegian Bokmål:
skruppelløs
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Norwegian Nynorsk:
skruppellaus
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable
Spanish:
desaprensivo
— contemptuous of what is right or honourable