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
Derived Forms
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.
But even while tacitly admitting Kirk’s scolding was unfair, she still insisted she was grateful for the “fatherly tough love.”
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
That—while being relatively unfair compared with institutions that have more leeway from bankers given their size—will reduce the amount of stock freely trading on Friday.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
Several employees were later fired and filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, which in February dismissed the eight unfair labor charges it had brought against SpaceX, citing jurisdictional issues.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Khan has repeatedly denied all allegations of sexual misconduct, with his lawyers describing the decision as "unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence".
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
"It would be unfair to the other villagers," the king's assistant murmured, "and it would break tradition."
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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.
