unjustly
gb/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌstli/ us/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌstli/
B2
English
~ 9300
igazságtalanul, jogtalanul
B2
1
jogtalanul
C1
Usage pattern:
to [verb] [someone] unjustly
She felt she had been unjustly accused of stealing from the company.
Úgy érezte, hogy igazságtalanul vádolták meg azzal, hogy a cégtől lopott.
Many people were unjustly imprisoned during the conflict.
A konfliktus alatt sok embert jogtalanul börtönöztek be.
The new law is unjustly harsh on low-income families.
He claimed that the workers were unjustly treated by their managers.
History shows that minority groups are often unjustly blamed for economic problems.
Learner examples
He was unjustly punished for something he did not do.
Igazságtalanul büntették meg olyasmiért, amit nem tett.
The students said they were unjustly treated by the teacher.
A diákok azt mondták, hogy a tanár igazságtalanul bánt velük.
The man was unjustly accused of the crime.
She believes poor people are often unjustly blamed for social problems.
Some workers feel they are paid unjustly compared to others.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the adjective "unjust" with the adverb "unjustly". Use "unjust" before a noun ("an unjust law") or after linking verbs ("The law is unjust"), and use "unjustly" to describe how an action is done ("He was unjustly punished"). Another common mistake is writing *"not justly"* when the intended meaning is "unjustly"; "not justly" is rare and can sound unclear or overly formal.
Meaning
In a way that is not fair or right
Collocations
unjustly accused
|unjustly imprisoned
|unjustly punished
|treated unjustly
|unjustly blamed
|act unjustly
Synonyms
unfairly (The most direct everyday synonym; slightly more common in casual speech.)
|
wrongly (Broader and slightly less formal; can also mean "incorrectly" in other contexts, not only about justice.)
Antonyms
justly (Focuses on being in line with justice, law, or moral rightness.)
|
fairly (Stresses treating people in an equal and reasonable way.)
Themes
law
|ethics
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In a way that is not fair or not right.
In a way that is not fair, reasonable, or morally or legally right.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unjustly
IPA
GB/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌstli/
US/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌstli/
Syllables & stress
un - justly (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (justly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: unjustly
- Plural: unjustlies
Word family
Expressions
unjustly accused
1/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌstli əkjˈuzd/
fixed phrase
Accused in an unfair way
Said when someone is blamed for a crime or bad act in a way that is not fair or not right.
Examples
- The report found that several employees were unjustly accused of fraud.
- He spent years trying to clear his name after being unjustly accused.
unjustly imprisoned
1/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌstli ɪmpɹˈɪzənd/
fixed phrase
Put in prison unfairly
Said when someone is put in prison in a way that is not fair, not legal, or not right.
Examples
- Many activists were unjustly imprisoned during the dictatorship.
- The charity works to free people who have been unjustly imprisoned.
unjustly punished
1/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌstli pˈʌnɪʃt/
fixed phrase
Punished in an unfair way
Said when someone receives a punishment that is not fair or not right for what happened.
Examples
- The child felt unjustly punished for a mistake he didn’t make.
- Workers said they were unjustly punished for speaking out about safety problems.