unjust
Americanadjective
-
not just; lacking in justice or fairness.
unjust criticism;
an unjust ruler.
- Synonyms:
- unjustifiable, unmerited, undeserved, biased, prejudiced, unfair, partial, inequitable
-
Archaic. unfaithful or dishonest.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of unjust
Explanation
Something or someone that is unjust is just not fair. An unjust boss might fire you the very first time you're late for work. You might think of the word justice in order to remember the meaning of the word just, which means "fairness or righteousness." An unjust judge does not play by the rules; he might send a person to jail even though there isn't enough evidence that a crime was committed. Unjust behavior is improper or dishonest: "The professor acted in an unjust manner when he gave everyone an F just because there was a rumor that his students didn’t like him."
Vocabulary lists containing unjust
Power Prefix: un-
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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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.
In an interview this week in the Free Press, Michael Walzer, author of the classic 1977 book Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations, said of the current conflict:
From Slate • Oct. 20, 2023
“He did nothing wrong,” Mr. Signorelli said, noting that a claim against the state that Mr. Williams filed under the Unjust Conviction and Imprisonment Act was dismissed this year.
From New York Times • May 5, 2022
Unjust institutions and the ideologies that support them benefit from a distorted, forgotten or unknown history.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 4, 2017
Unjust Imprisonment Act should be disallowed or offset because of nearly $1.4 million in damages that Tribble received from the U.S. government and argued against portions of his claims for wages, medical costs and damages.
From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2016
As the play’s protagonist concedes, the pupils of Unjust Discourse are the occupants of all the positions of power and eminence in the city.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
