unjust
Americanadjective
-
not just; lacking in justice or fairness.
unjust criticism;
an unjust ruler.
- Synonyms:
- unjustifiable, unmerited, undeserved, biased, prejudiced, unfair, partial, inequitable
-
Archaic. unfaithful or dishonest.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unjust
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."
Vocabulary lists containing unjust
Power Prefix: un-
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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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.
Other prosecutions have been perceived as heavy-handed and unjust.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
"OpenAI should not be permitted to use Apple's secrets to gain an unjust head start in its hardware ambitions," the iPhone-maker says.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Let’s hope Judge Chuang dispenses with the Justice Department’s unjust prison demand and issues a suspended sentence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Because of that arrangement, and a separate termination notice it sent him, it shares responsibility for his unjust firing, his suit alleges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
What a miserable little poltroon had fear, engendered of unjust punishment, made of me in those days!
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
