unfair

adjective

un·​fair ˌən-ˈfer 

1

: marked by injustice, partiality, or deception : unjust

2

: not equitable in business dealings

unfairness noun

Synonyms

• dirty
• foul
• illegal
• nasty
• unsportsmanlike

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

The legacy of slavery was an undertone — overtone, really — to Our Native Daughters’ lone album, so this first set naturally contained an unfair share of the most emotionally rife numbers of the night. —Chris Willman, Variety, 21 June 2025

The second myth, peddled by Governor Newsom, is that trans kids have an unfair advantage in sports. —Gavin Yamey, Time, 20 June 2025

Way back in 2018, the EU fined Google for using its Android operating system market share to stymie rivals by giving its own apps unfair advantage through pre-installation deals with mobile handset makers. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 20 June 2025

The bulk buy was recognized as unfair but legal; the lottery paid out the prize money, which, after taxes, amounted to nearly fifty-eight million dollars. —Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 19 June 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