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

It also was a place with "no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialisation of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness."

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

In a statement the Senegalese government said the "unprecedented and exceptionally serious decision" was based on "a manifestly erroneous interpretation of the regulations, leading to a grossly illegal and deeply unjust decision".

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Immigrant-rights advocates argued the repeal of the special protection would be cruel and unjust to migrants who have established lives and careers in this country.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

They may not be remembered individually like Fannie, but throughout history many ordinary people had the courage to risk their lives to fight a system they believed was unjust.

From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell

Related Words

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