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.
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disproportionate; undue; beyond what is proper or fitting.
an unfair share.
adjective
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characterized by inequality or injustice
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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
Explanation
If something's unfair, it's not just or equitable. If your brother carelessly broke your mother's favorite vase, it would be unfair for her to punish both of you. We all know that when things are fair, they're unbiased or they follow the rules. Unfair is the exact opposite, so an unfair ruling in court isn't based on principles of justice, and an unfair grade on your book report might be due to your English teacher's bias against graphic novels. The original meaning of this adjective was "not lovely" or "hideous," from the "beautiful" definition of fair.
Vocabulary lists containing unfair
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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.
And it is equally unfair to force them to represent themselves as the court did in Carruthers’ case.
From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026
He countered that those comparisons are unfair for several reasons.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
“It is unfair and unjust for the San Francisco District Attorney and the federal government to fearmonger and exploit this young man’s vulnerability simply due to the high-profile status of the people involved,” Ward said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
After the match Arbeloa made clear he felt Camavinga's second yellow card for time wasting was unfair and that his side deserved to progress, but also accepted responsibility.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
It felt unfair, to see two people so in love with each other when Moss had nothing.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
