Unehrlich

Unehrlich is a German adjective meaning dishonest or deceitful. It describes people, statements, or actions that are not truthful or that deliberately mislead. The term is commonly used to express moral or ethical disapproval and can refer to a wide range of insincere or fraudulent behavior, from false claims to unethical conduct. English equivalents include dishonest, deceitful, or unscrupulous.

Etymology and usage notes: Unehrlich is formed from the negating prefix un- and the adjective ehrlich, which means honest. The related noun is Ehrlichkeit (honesty). In German grammar, unehrlich follows standard adjective inflection: ein unehrlicher Mann, eine unehrliche Frau, ein unehrliches Verhalten; die unehrlichen Aussagen. It can be used predicatively (Er ist unehrlich) or attributively (eine unehrliche Behauptung). As an adverb, it can appear in constructions such as unehrlich gehandelt, though in practice it often appears with the verb rather than as a separate adverb.

Context and nuance: Unehrlich carries a strong normative charge, implying intentional deception rather than simply being incorrect. It is commonly used in everyday speech, journalism, politics, and legal or ethical discussions to condemn mendacity or manipulative conduct. Related terms include unaufrichtig (less formal, about insincerity) and unredlich (older or formal, sometimes with legal or moral overtones). It is distinct from terms describing errors or mistakes, where a neutral or milder term would be more appropriate.