Meaning & use
unfairly
Last updated
UK/ʌnˈfeəli/
US/ʌnˈferli/
Meaning
adverb
In a way that is not fair, just, or reasonable.
Grammar: Modifies a verb, often in phrases like 'treat someone unfairly' or 'be treated unfairly'.
Patterns
- treat someone unfairly
- be treated unfairly
- judge someone unfairly
- blame someone unfairly
The workers felt they had been treated unfairly.
She was unfairly blamed for the mistake.
The referee was accused of judging the players unfairly.
Common combinations
- treat unfairly
- The company was accused of treating its employees unfairly.
- be treated unfairly
- He believed he had been treated unfairly by the court.
- unfairly dismissed
- She claimed she was unfairly dismissed from her job.
- unfairly criticized
- The new policy was unfairly criticized in the media.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unjustly
- Unjustly is more formal and often used in legal or moral contexts.
- wrongly
- Wrongly can mean 'incorrectly' as well as 'unfairly', so it is less specific.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: unfairly or unfair?
unfairly vs unfair
Unfair is an adjective (an unfair decision), while unfairly is an adverb (treated unfairly).
Practice
Choose the correct word: 'She was ___ accused of cheating.'
Choose one answer.
The adverb 'unfairly' modifies the verb 'accused'. 'Unfair' is an adjective and cannot modify a verb, and 'fairly' would mean the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unfairly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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