Word
injustice
Phoneticsin·jus·tice, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪnˈdʒəstɪs/
UK/ɪndʒˈʌstɪs/
Definitions
01unfair treatment
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a situation where people are not treated fairly or do not have the same rights as others.
n. the quality or fact of being unjust; a lack of fairness or equity in treatment or status.
“The protesters marched to fight against social injustice in their city.”
“The documentary highlights the systemic injustice faced by marginalised communities within the current legal framework.”
Synonyms
02a specific unfair act
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a specific act or event that is unfair or wrong.
n. a specific instance of a violation of rights or an unjust act.
“It was a great injustice that he was sent to prison for a crime he did not commit.”
“The legal team worked for years to overturn the injustice of the original verdict, eventually proving the evidence had been tampered with.”
03an unjust judge
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Law Humorous · Informal
n. a way to describe a judge who you think is making unfair decisions.
n. a derogatory or humorous play on the title 'Justice', used to imply that a specific judge is acting unfairly.
“The lawyer joked that the biased judge should be called 'Injustice' instead of 'Justice'.”
“In his satirical pamphlet, the author referred to the corrupt magistrate as 'Mr. Injustice' to highlight the absurdity of the ruling.”
Usage
This is a wordplay on the formal title 'Justice' used for high-court judges.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “injustice” in context.
Verb
01. perpetuate an injustice
“Failing to update these laws will only serve to perpetuate a grave injustice against the working class.”
verb + noun
02. protest against injustice
“Thousands of citizens gathered in the square to protest against the systemic injustice of the new tax code.”
verb + prep + noun
03. remedy the injustice
“The government has promised to take immediate action to remedy the injustice faced by minority groups.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. crying injustice
“The lack of clean water in such a wealthy nation is a crying injustice that must be addressed.”
adj + noun
05. gross injustice
“The wrongful conviction of the innocent man was described by the judge as a gross injustice.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. sense of injustice
“A deep sense of injustice fueled the civil rights movement throughout the decade.”
noun + of + noun
07. victim of injustice
“She spent her career as a lawyer defending those who had fallen victim of injustice.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
08. in the face of injustice
“He remained remarkably calm and dignified even in the face of blatant injustice.”
prep + noun + prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s work is based on the idea of “forensic listening”, which uses sonic recording techniques to investigate global injustices.” “I’m always aggravated by injustice and if the truth needs to be told, then I need to be a conduit for that truth.” Etymology
From Middle English injustice, from Old French injustice, from Latin iniustitia. Equivalent to in- + justice. Displaced native Old English unrihtwīsnes.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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