unfair
Americanadjective
-
not fair; not conforming to approved standards, as of justice, honesty, or ethics.
an unfair law;
an unfair wage policy.
-
disproportionate; undue; beyond what is proper or fitting.
an unfair share.
adjective
-
characterized by inequality or injustice
-
dishonest or unethical
Other Word Forms
- unfairly adverb
- unfairness noun
Etymology
Origin of unfair
First recorded before 900; 1705–15 unfair for def. 1; Middle English: “uncomely, ugly”; Old English unfæger; cognate with Old Norse ūfagr; un- 1 + fair 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As part of the measures announced on Tuesday, the regulator said Apple and Google had also committed not to use data gathered from third-party app developers in an unfair way.
From BBC
It argued Cambridge Rowing Limited would be able to "take unfair advantage of and cause detriment to" the university's reputation if its logo was registered.
From BBC
In San Diego, the teachers’ union voted before winter break to authorize a one-day unfair labor practice strike on Feb. 26 if the San Diego Unified School District does not improve special education staffing.
From Los Angeles Times
"We cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance to give themselves an unfair advantage," Ribera said in a statement.
From Barron's
He described the sentence to the BBC as "cruel and very unfair", and called on human rights organisations to protest against the ruling.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
