unfair

adjective un·fair \ ˌən-ˈfer \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of unfair

1 : marked by injustice, partiality, or deception : unjust

2 : not equitable in business dealings

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unfairness

noun

See unfair defined for English-language learners

See unfair defined for kids

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 of unfair from the Web

Meanwhile, Trump has railed against the large trade deficit the U.S. has with China and accused the Asian superpower of unfair trade practices.

— jim puzzanghera, latimes.com, "Chinese investment in U.S. plunged last year, even before Trump threatened tariffs," 11 Apr. 2018
Are there any telling signs an employer might employ unfair pay practices?

— marissa miller, Teen Vogue, "Equal Pay Day 2018: How to Negotiate at Your First Job," 10 Apr. 2018
Trump has cited the restrictions on the auto industry as an example of China's unfair trade practices.

— author: simon denyer, Anchorage Daily News, "China’s president pledges to reduce investment restrictions, tariffs on auto industry," 10 Apr. 2018
The Federal Trade Commission monitors advertising and marketing to prohibit unfair or deceptive practices and enforce truth-in-advertising laws.

— david dayen, The New Republic, "Ban Targeted Advertising," 10 Apr. 2018
In response to the March blog post, some commenters said transgender women have an unfair physical advantage and shouldn't bump other women from qualifying.

— collin binkley, The Christian Science Monitor, "Transgender athletes compete at Boston, other marathons," 9 Apr. 2018
The assertion that Twitter is consciously unengaged with human rights issues is an unfair representation not just of the facts, but of the ethos of our dedicated teams, and the core mission of the company.

— madison malone kircher, Select All, "New Report Finds Twitter Violates Women’s Human Rights," 21 Mar. 2018
In December, four people were arrested and a number of properties raided by National Trading Standards officers as part of an investigation into unfair practices in the market.

— richard smirke, Billboard, "British Government Strengthens Rules Around Secondary Ticketing," 15 Feb. 2018
Shulkin did not accept most of the findings in this report, as his legal counsel sent a lengthy letter to the VA Inspector General, accusing the VA of running an unfair investigation, which itself was beset by misconduct.

— jamie dupree, AJC.com, "VA chief faces call to resign after report questions why feds paid for his wife to go on 2017 trip to Europe," 14 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unfair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unfair

1700

unfair Synonyms

Phrases

below the belt;

UNFAIR Defined for English Language Learners

unfair

adjective

Definition of unfair for English Language Learners

: treating people in a way that favors some over others : not fair, honest, or just

UNFAIR Defined for Kids

unfair

adjective un·fair \ ˌən-ˈfer \

Definition of unfair for Students

: not fair, honest, or just

an unfair trial

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unfairly

adverb

We were treated unfairly.

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unfairness

noun

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See words that rhyme with unfair Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unfair Spanish Central: Translation of unfair Nglish: Translation of unfair for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of unfair for Arabic speakers

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unfair

Definition of unfair

unfairness

Examples of unfair in a Sentence

Recent Examples of unfair from the Web

First Known Use of unfair

unfair Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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UNFAIR Defined for English Language Learners

unfair

Definition of unfair for English Language Learners

UNFAIR Defined for Kids

unfair

Definition of unfair for Students

unfairly

unfairness

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