unfairness

Definition of unfairnessnext
1
as in injustice
the state of being unfair or unjust the transparent unfairness of the referee's decision made her furious

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2
as in wrong
unfair or inadequate treatment of someone or something or an instance of this it would be no unfairness to the article's second author to characterize his contributions as minimal

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of unfairness But the pandemic also exposed the grotesque unfairness of our economy and society in deeply personal ways, cutting across the red-blue divide. George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026 Beyond that, there is the wider issue of inter-generational unfairness. The Week Uk, TheWeek, 1 Mar. 2026 But — no different from those of any color frustrated by economic inequality — white people who see the unfairness in our current systems, from schools to retirement, are fed up and angry and rightfully want change. Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026 Like the one eventually chosen by Katie Pavlich, who at age 6 wrote a letter to then-President Bill Clinton about the unfairness of a federal income tax hike. Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026 The ‘zone of unfairness’ in a split economy Spring’s internal efforts are taking place against the backdrop of disruptions to trade and uncertainty about US consumer spending. Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026 The article sought to call attention to the unfairness of a discriminatory policy that targeted service members but was not equally applied to civilian employees in positions of power. Michael Collins, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025 The post quickly drew attention and sympathy from readers who saw the unfairness in the situation. Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025 Jon Pike, a philosophy professor at The Open University in England, argued that an open category should be created for transgender athletes to avoid any potential unfairness from biological males competing against girls and women. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfairness
Noun
  • Muro went over matters of of farmworkers’ rights, women’s rights, environmental justice and cultural identity, before prompting a Monarch to share a personal example of injustice.
    Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Erik Ortiz Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality.
    Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Their circumstances summon them to address some wrong or seize some opportunity.
    David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Larded throughout this scene is that unmistakable suggestion, yet again, that the play exists because its playwright needed — if not to right a cosmic wrong — to create a place to house or expiate his grief.
    Rhoda Feng, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Unfairness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfairness. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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