1
a
: marked by injustice, partiality, or deception : unjust
an unfair trial
taking unfair advantage
You're being a little unfair to single them out.
b
: not representative
cited an unfair example
c
: disproportionate
got an unfair share
2
: not equitable in business dealings
unfair competition
unfair labor practices
unfairness
noun
Examples of unfair in a Sentence
It's unfair for them to be allowed to leave early if we can't.
It seems unfair to single her out for criticism.
The company has been accused of unfair labor practices.
Recent Examples on the Web
Once tipped as the backbone of Barca’s future, he’s been heavily criticised in the club for bad performances in big European nights, which president Joan Laporta said was unfair.
—
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Plus, women simply have to carry more things than men, ergo, bag policies are inherently unfair toward us!
—Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
Banks have generally seen the tax-exempt nature of credit unions as giving them an unfair advantage in the market.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025
Court case backlogs mean defendants and crime victims could spend an unfair amount of time dealing with the criminal justice system, said Steve Mulroy, the county's district attorney.
—Adrian Sainz The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfair
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Plus, women simply have to carry more things than men, ergo, bag policies are inherently unfair toward us!
—Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
Banks have generally seen the tax-exempt nature of credit unions as giving them an unfair advantage in the market.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025
Court case backlogs mean defendants and crime victims could spend an unfair amount of time dealing with the criminal justice system, said Steve Mulroy, the county's district attorney.
—Adrian Sainz The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unfair
Cite this Entry
“Unfair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfair. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unfair
adjective
un·fair
ˌən-ˈfa(ə)r 
ˈən-,
-ˈfe(ə)r
2
: not fair in doing business
unfair to workers
unfairly
adverb
unfairness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share