unjust

American  

[uhn-juhst] / ʌnˈdʒʌst /

adjective

1. not just; lacking in justice or fairness.

   unjust criticism;

   an unjust ruler.

   Synonyms:

   unjustifiable, unmerited, undeserved, biased, prejudiced, unfair, partial, inequitable

2. Archaic. unfaithful or dishonest.

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unjust British  

/ ʌnˈdʒʌst /

adjective

1. not in accordance with accepted standards of fairness or justice; unfair

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Other Word Forms

• unjustly adverb
• unjustness noun

Etymology

Origin of unjust

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; un- ¹ + just ¹

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."

Example Sentences

Those suits accuse the firms of being poised to be in a position of "unjust enrichment", getting money back from the government even though they had already passed on the costs.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Workers have labored under these unjust policies for nearly a century.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

In 2022, women put their bodies on the line to protest and call for accountability for the unjust killing of Jina Amini.

From Slate • Mar. 3, 2026

"After 10 months in hiding and almost nine months of unjust imprisonment, I confirm that I am now completely free," Guanipa wrote on social media.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

But now, driven by his unrest from idleness and wishing to escape from the reproach of his own heart when he remembered that he had been unjust to his wife, he went toward this place.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

Related Words

• biased
• inequitable
• one-sided
• partisan
• prejudiced
• unfair
• unjustified
• wrong
• wrongful