unfair

adjective

un·​fair ˌən-ˈfer 

1

: marked by injustice, partiality, or deception : unjust

2

: not equitable in business dealings

unfairness noun

Synonyms

• foul
• illegal
• nasty

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

State legislators and attorneys general should examine whether certain practices violate existing rules against unfair or deceptive trade practices. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

Even if most of these conditions are met, one or two unfair elements can strongly shape overall perceptions of fairness. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025

Creativity is the last unfair advantage left. —Erik Huberman, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025

And her courage in having participated in an unfair contest and in exposing Maduro’s fraud by publishing the true vote tallies on the internet, surely made Machado stand out to the Nobel committee. —David Smilde, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unfair

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

unfair

adjective

un·​fair ˌən-ˈfa(ə)r 

ˈən-,

-ˈfe(ə)r

1

: not fair, honest, or just : unjust, dishonest

an unfair trial

2

: not fair in doing business

unfair to workers

unfairly adverb

unfairness noun