noun
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the condition or practice of being unjust or unfair
-
an unjust act
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of injustice
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin injūstitia; equivalent to in- 3 + justice
Compare meaning
How does injustice compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Life isn’t fair, and that quality is exactly what defines injustice: something unfair that happens, often in violation of a basic human right. In the early 19th century in the United States, women could not legally vote, but they fought back against this injustice and eventually won voting rights. The word comes from a Latin phrase that literally means “not right,” and injustice is the opposite of justice, which is a fair and righteous act. Injustice can be general or specific, like the injustice suffered by poor people everywhere, or an individual act of injustice committed by some unkind person.
Vocabulary lists containing injustice
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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"The Civil Rights Movement"
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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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.
See Examples For:
"His health is now in crisis, and every day he remains detained is another day of unconscionable injustice inflicted not just on him, but on four young children who are growing up without their father."
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
The unfortunate reality is that nearly every period of injustice the U.S. has experienced has come at the expense of human lives.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Shouldn’t the ASA and its individual members similarly deploy their research to inveigh against injustice and advance social change?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
“That is an injustice — not only to Sandra, but to the memory of Soledad Lopez, whose family deserves answers, not a convenient arrest.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The economic injustice toward Virginia and most of the southern states—South Carolina was the exception, since it had not retired much of its debt was bad enough.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
“The Lineage fire exposed long-standing environmental injustices impacting Boyle Heights in East L.A. and other areas,” said school board member Rocío Rivas, who represents the area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Lake, who has campaigned for his constituent for the past two years, said the case was one of the clearest injustices he had come across in his nine years as an MP.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Her report recommends apologising to Mrs P and making a payment of £2,000 to reflect the injustices caused.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
That a major publisher should in 2026 release a book on Protestant missionaries that isn’t about the injustices of colonialism may come as a surprise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
There are no secrets shared or injustices vented.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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.
