English Reference
noun

injustice

n.
US /ˌɪnˈdʒəstɪs/ UK /ɪndʒˈʌstɪs/ in·jus·tice UK spelling injustice's, injustice's

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    a situation where people are not treated fairly or do not have the same rights as others.

    the quality or fact of being unjust; a lack of fairness or equity in treatment or status.

    Simple

    The protesters marched to fight against social injustice in their city.

    In context

    The documentary highlights the systemic injustice faced by marginalised communities within the current legal framework.

    unfairnessinequitywrong
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    a specific act or event that is unfair or wrong.

    a specific instance of a violation of rights or an unjust act.

    Simple

    It was a great injustice that he was sent to prison for a crime he did not commit.

    In context

    The legal team worked for years to overturn the injustice of the original verdict, eventually proving the evidence had been tampered with.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency HumorousInformal Law

    a way to describe a judge who you think is making unfair decisions.

    a derogatory or humorous play on the title 'Justice', used to imply that a specific judge is acting unfairly.

    Simple

    The lawyer joked that the biased judge should be called 'Injustice' instead of 'Justice'.

    In context

    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.

Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s work is based on the idea of “forensic listening”, which uses sonic recording techniques to investigate global injustices.

The Guardian· 15 Aug 2026

I’m always aggravated by injustice and if the truth needs to be told, then I need to be a conduit for that truth.

The Guardian· 18 Jul 2026

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.

This entry
Origin Latin iniustitia
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated