Meaning & use
unjust treatment
Last updated
Meaning
phraseuncountable
the act of being treated unfairly or cruelly by someone in authority.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or 'an': 'They suffered unjust treatment.' Not 'an unjust treatment'.
Patterns
- unjust treatment of someone
- unjust treatment by someone
- suffer unjust treatment
- receive unjust treatment
The workers complained about unjust treatment by their manager.
She wrote a letter about the unjust treatment of prisoners.
Refugees often face unjust treatment when they arrive in a new country.
Common combinations
- unjust treatment of
- The report described the unjust treatment of elderly patients.
- suffer unjust treatment
- Many people suffered unjust treatment under the old law.
- receive unjust treatment
- He received unjust treatment from the court.
- unjust treatment by
- The students protested against unjust treatment by the school.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unfair treatment
- Very close in meaning; 'unfair treatment' is more common in everyday speech.
- mistreatment
- Suggests active cruelty or neglect, not just unfairness.
- abuse
- Stronger and often implies violence or serious harm.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: unjust treatment or injustice?
unjust treatment vs injustice
'Injustice' means a lack of fairness in general or a specific unfair act; 'unjust treatment' focuses on the way someone is treated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'unjust treatment' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Unjust treatment' is uncountable, so it takes no article and no plural. 'An unjust treatment' and 'treatments' are wrong because the phrase is not countable.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unjust treatment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.