unfair
Americanadjective
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not fair; not conforming to approved standards, as of justice, honesty, or ethics.
an unfair law;
an unfair wage policy.
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disproportionate; undue; beyond what is proper or fitting.
an unfair share.
adjective
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characterized by inequality or injustice
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dishonest or unethical
Other Word Forms
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
Explanation
If something's unfair, it's not just or equitable. If your brother carelessly broke your mother's favorite vase, it would be unfair for her to punish both of you. We all know that when things are fair, they're unbiased or they follow the rules. Unfair is the exact opposite, so an unfair ruling in court isn't based on principles of justice, and an unfair grade on your book report might be due to your English teacher's bias against graphic novels. The original meaning of this adjective was "not lovely" or "hideous," from the "beautiful" definition of fair.
Vocabulary lists containing unfair
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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.
The jury found Meta violated the state's Unfair Practices Act by misleading consumers about the safety of its products for children.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
An unaffiliated grassroots organization called Unfair Canada formed last year to start the discussion about labor disputes.
From Salon • Aug. 16, 2025
“An Unfair Labor Practice strike is always a last resort, and we will continue to push Stater Bros to do the right thing,” the union said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2025
The bill would change the state’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law to require “clear and conspicuous disclosure” when artificial intelligence has been used to create written text, images, audio or video.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024
Unfair, however, as were the satirical verses with which he overwhelmed him, yet he soon returned to his old kindly feeling.
From Pictures of German Life in the XVIIIth and XIXth Centuries, Vol. II. by Freytag, Gustav
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.
