# unjust

/ənˈdʒəst/ (US) · /ʌndʒˈʌst/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unjust
Updated: 2026-05-06

## Definition

not fair or right. You use this to describe a situation or rule where someone is treated badly for no good reason.

For teachers: not based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair. Often used to describe legal systems, social conditions, or specific decisions that violate principles of equity.

## Examples

- The judge's decision felt very unjust to the family.
- Many citizens protested against the new tax, arguing it was unjust to those with the lowest incomes.
- The historian argued that the treaty was fundamentally unjust, as it imposed heavy penalties on a population that had no say in the conflict's origin.

## Usage notes

- Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.

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