unfair

adjective

un·​fair ˌən-ˈfer How to pronounce unfair (audio)
1
: marked by injustice, partiality, or deception : unjust
2
: not equitable in business dealings
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 Critics argue that leaders place unfair burdens on supervisors and press them to act as de facto therapists. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 Google recently received a €2.42 billion ($2.64 billion) antitrust fine from the EU for using its own price comparison shopping service to gain an unfair advantage over smaller European rivals. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Either way, two people can make their own decision about splitting assets in an uncontested divorce, as long as it’s mutually agreed on, informed and not glaringly unfair. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The authors of the FAFSA Simplification Act that passed in December 2020 thought those omissions were, in some cases, unfair to families with lesser means or assets. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 For Apple, which is desperate to maintain its ability to take a fat cut of all in-app transactions on iOS, almost everything about the DMA is just so unfair. David Meyer, Fortune Europe, 5 Mar. 2024 In a January meeting with Mayorkas, the National Council of Textile Organizations complained about unfair trade practices, including the de minimis rule. Didi Tang, Fortune Asia, 4 Mar. 2024 Today the European Commission agreed, saying that Apple’s App Store restrictions amount to unfair trading conditions that may have led iOS users to pay significantly higher prices for music streaming subscriptions. Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 Lopes has taken an unfair amount of blame for Milwaukee’s leaky defense in the paint. Brian Sampson, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unfair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfair was in 1700

Dictionary Entries Near unfair

Cite this Entry

“Unfair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfair. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unfair

adjective
un·​fair ˌən-ˈfa(ə)r How to pronounce unfair (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on unfair

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!