- characterized by inequality or injustice
- dishonest or unethical
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•fair /ʌnˈfɛr/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- not fair;
not agreeing with or following standards of justice, honesty, or the like:The students claimed that the test was unfair.[be + ~ (+ of + object) + to + verb]It was very unfair (of the teacher) to give the students so much homework on a holiday weekend. - beyond what is proper or fitting:an unfair advantage.
un•fair
(un fâr′),USA pronunciation adj.
un•fair′ly, adv.
un•fair′ness, n.
- not fair;
not conforming to approved standards, as of justice, honesty, or ethics:an unfair law; an unfair wage policy. - disproportionate;
undue;
beyond what is proper or fitting:an unfair share.
- bef. 900; 1705–15 for def. 1; Middle English: uncomely, ugly; Old English unfæger; cognate with Old Norse ūfagr. See un-1, fair1
un•fair′ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
unfair /ʌnˈfɛə/ adj
'unfair' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
antitrust
- blackmail
- cheat
- context
- damnably
- dirty
- discrimination
- employment tribunal
- foul
- foul play
- gerrymander
- graft
- indignation
- industrial tribunal
- iniquity
- injustice
- odds
- play
- railroad
- raw
- reasonable
- red-hot
- rort
- rough
- score
- stealth tax
- thick
- unjust
- unscrupulous
- abolition
- bandit
- blacklist
- cease-and-desist order
- consumerism
- crappy
- dirty pool
- equitable
- fast
- fast one
- favor
- fraud
- garble
- grievance
- impose
- inequitable
- inequity
- low blow
- manipulate
- McCarthyism
- National Labor Relations Board