Meaning & use
unfair
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not fair or just; treating people differently without a good reason, or not giving everyone an equal chance.
Grammar: Used before nouns and after linking verbs; common patterns are unfair to someone and it is unfair that.
Patterns
- unfair to/toward(s) someone
- it is unfair that...
- an unfair advantage/decision/treatment
It was unfair to blame only one child for the broken window.
The manager was accused of being unfair to younger staff.
They complained about an unfair decision by the judges.
adjectivebefore a nounlawbusiness
Not honest or not following accepted rules, especially in games, business, or employment.
Grammar: Often appears before nouns such as advantage, competition, dismissal, or practice.
Patterns
- an unfair advantage
- unfair competition
- unfair dismissal
The company was fined for unfair competition.
She won her case for unfair dismissal after twenty years of service.
Hiding information gave him an unfair advantage over the other buyers.
Word forms
| comparative | more unfair |
|---|---|
| superlative | most unfair |
Common combinations
- unfair treatment
- Several workers reported unfair treatment by the agency.
- an unfair advantage
- Training with professional coaches gave the team an unfair advantage.
- it's unfair that/to
- It's unfair that she has to do all the cleaning alone.
- unfair dismissal
- He took his employer to court for unfair dismissal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unjust
- Unjust usually describes laws, systems, or serious moral wrongs; unfair is the everyday word for specific treatment or decisions.
- inequitable
- Inequitable is formal and stresses unequal shares or rights rather than a single unfair act.
- biased
- Biased means favoring one side unfairly; a biased decision is unfair, but not every unfair act is biased.
- unreasonable
- Unreasonable means not fair or sensible to expect; it is about demands, not about equal treatment of people.
Opposites
Word family
- unfairly adverb
- in a way that is not fair or just.
- unfairness noun
- the quality of being unfair; an unfair act.
Commonly confused: unfair or just? unfair or biased?
unfair vs just
Just can mean fair (an adjective, the opposite of unjust) or only/recently (an adverb); context shows which meaning applies.
unfair vs biased
Biased means leaning unfairly toward one side; unfair is broader and covers any unequal or unreasonable treatment.
Practice
Complete the sentence: “It’s unfair ___ single out one student for the mistake.”
Choose one answer.
The pattern is it is unfair to do something, meaning it is wrong to do it. For, of, and with do not fit this construction after it’s unfair.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unfair”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.