unjust
gb/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌst/ us/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌst/
B2
English
~ 4400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
Not fair or morally right
Not fair or right; treating people in a wrong way.
Usage pattern:
[something] is unjust
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'unjust' with 'illegal', but something can be unjust without breaking the law.
Synonyms
unfair (More common in everyday speech; slightly less formal than 'unjust'.)
|
inequitable (More formal and often used in legal or policy contexts.)
Antonyms
just (Describes something fair and morally right.)
|
fair (Describes something reasonable and equal for everyone.)
Collocations
unjust law
|unjust decision
|unjust treatment
|unjust system
Themes
law
|ethics
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The new tax was widely criticized as unjust.
- He was imprisoned under an unjust legal system.
- Many believe the punishment was unjust given the minor offense.
- It would be unjust to blame her for the team's failure.
Learner examples
- That rule is unjust.
- The law is unjust to poor people.
- It is unjust to punish all for one mistake.
- The teacher was unjust to the students.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unjust
IPA
GB/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌst/
US/ʌnd͡ʒˈʌst/
Syllables & stress
un - just (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (just)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unjust
Word family
Expressions
grossly unjust
1/ɡɹˈoʊsli ʌnd͡ʒˈʌst/
fixed phrase
Extremely unfair or wrong
Very, very unfair or wrong.
Examples
- The verdict was grossly unjust and shocked the public.
- It is grossly unjust to deny someone basic human rights.
manifestly unjust
1/mˈænɪfɛstli ʌnd͡ʒˈʌst/
fixed phrase
formal
Clearly unfair or wrong
Clearly unfair or wrong; easy to see it is not fair.
Examples
- The contract was manifestly unjust to the workers.
- They argued that the decision was manifestly unjust and should be overturned.