unfairly

unfairly — adverb

1. when someone behaves or acts without fairness — for example, treating one group

1.adverbB2
Definition

when someone behaves or acts without fairness — for example, treating one group more harshly than another for no good reason

Example

The hiring manager was accused of acting unfairly by rejecting qualified women candidates.

passive + of + gerund: be accused of acting unfairly

The referee was criticized for unfairly penalizing one team throughout the match.

adverb before gerund: unfairly penalizing

Common collocations
  • treat unfairly
  • be treated unfairly
  • judge unfairly
  • criticize unfairly
  • penalize unfairly
  • accuse unfairly
  • act unfairly
  • blame unfairly
  • reject unfairly
Synonyms
  • unjustly

    more formal and typically used in legal or moral contexts

  • wrongfully

    specifically implies a violation of a legal or moral right

  • inequitably

    formal; focuses on unequal distribution or treatment across groups

  • unduly

    suggests an action is excessive or beyond what is reasonable

Antonyms
  • fairly

    direct opposite across all contexts

  • justly

    more formal; emphasizes moral rightness

  • equally

    focuses on even and impartial treatment

Usage Note

Frequently used with passive verbs describing how a person or group is treated, such as treat, penalize, criticize, judge, accuse, and reject. The adverb usually appears directly before the past participle or gerund it modifies.

Common Mistakes

The manager treated the workers unfair.
The manager treated the workers unfairly.
'unfair' is an adjective and cannot describe how an action is performed; use the adverb 'unfairly.'
The company's unfairly policy was criticized.
The company's unfair policy was criticized.
'unfairly' cannot modify a noun; use the adjective 'unfair' before a noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe actions that deviate from fairness, but they differ in scope and formality. Unfairly is the broadest and most neutral term — it fits workplace, sports, school, and everyday situations. Unjustly carries stronger moral weight and is more common in legal or ethical discussions ('the prisoner was unjustly detained'). Wrongfully specifically suggests that a right — legal or moral — has been violated ('wrongfully accused of theft'). Inequitably is a formal word that focuses on unequal treatment across groups, often used in policy or economics ('inequitably distributed resources'). Unduly adds the idea of excess rather than mere unfairness ('unduly harsh punishment'). In casual conversation, unfairly is always the safest choice; the others add a layer of formality or a specific nuance.

unjustly ↗wrongfullyinequitablyunduly

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • treat someone unfairly
  • act unfairly toward someone
  • be treated unfairly
  • accuse someone unfairly

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the negative prefix un- to the adverb fairly, which itself comes from fair (adjective, meaning 'just, right, pleasing') plus the adverbial ending -ly. The adjective fair traces back to Old English fæger, meaning 'beautiful, lovely, pleasant,' and by the 14th century it had developed the sense of 'morally right, in accordance with rules.' The combination unfairly has been in use since at least the 1400s to describe actions that go against what is just or proper.