unjust

adjective

un·​just ˌən-ˈjəst How to pronounce unjust (audio)
Synonyms of unjustnext
1
: characterized by injustice : unfair
received an unjust punishment
2
archaic : dishonest, faithless
unjustly adverb
unjustness noun

Examples of unjust in a Sentence

The convict received an unjust sentence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last year, a Detroit woman filed a federal lawsuit against the police department, alleging that faulty facial recognition technology led to her unjust arrest. Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 20 May 2026 The court agreed with the jury’s determination that Altman and OpenAI were not liable, and therefore claims of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment are dismissed as untimely. Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 19 May 2026 The court applied a three-year limit to claims involving charitable trust duties and a two-year limit to claims involving unjust enrichment. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026 The jury also found Musk missed the two-year statute of limitations for the unjust enrichment claims. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unjust

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unjust was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Unjust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unjust. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

unjust

adjective
un·​just ˌən-ˈjəst How to pronounce unjust (audio)
ˈən-
: not just : unfair
an unjust way of picking the winner
unjustly adverb
unjustness noun

Legal Definition

unjust

adjective
un·​just
: characterized by injustice : deficient in justice and fairness
an unjust sentence
unjustly adverb
unjustness noun

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