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.
-
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.
That same year the company agreed to pay $48 million to settle allegations of unfair eviction practices and withheld security deposits.
From Los Angeles Times
The unfair trade practice of currency manipulation is eliminated.
Their invention was like dropping a new apex predator into the investment habitat—an unfair fight.
It’s unfair that it has to be this way, that so many of the elites are unwilling to give back by sticking their necks out.
From Salon
Villagers told AFP they felt the huge price gap was unfair.
From Barron's
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.
