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.
In an interview this week in the Free Press, Michael Walzer, author of the classic 1977 book Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations, said of the current conflict:
From Slate • Oct. 20, 2023
Banners bearing slogans such as “Liberty and Fraternity” and “Taxation without Representation is Unjust and Tyrannical” flapped in the breeze, and bands played patriotic tunes including Rule Britannia and God Save the King.
From The Guardian • Jan. 4, 2018
Unjust institutions and the ideologies that support them benefit from a distorted, forgotten or unknown history.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 4, 2017
Roberts is separately weighing whether the D.C. government is liable for damages to be awarded to Gates under the city’s Unjust Imprisonment Act.
From Washington Post • Nov. 18, 2015
The council resolved that the ANC would hold demonstrations on April 6, 1952, as a prelude to the launching of the Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
