1. a. Or persons: Not acting justly or fairly; not observing the principles of justice or fair dealing. Also const. to.
1382. Wyclif, Heb. vi. 10. Sothli God is not vniust, that he forȝete ȝoure workis.
1549. Cheke, Hurt Sedit. (1569), D iij b. Shall they be thought not vniust, who … misvse and waste the same vngodlye?
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 400. An vniust and unprofitable Prince.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., V. i. 302. The Duke’s vniust, Thus to retort your manifest Appeale.
1664. in Verney Mem. (1907), II. 208. You would bee very unjust to your sonne.
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 16. [Men] are as often unjust to themselves as to others.
1781. Cowper, Expost., 56. He saw his people … avaricious, arrogant, unjust.
1841. Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 74. In the beginning of his reign [he was] an unjust monarch.
1876. J. Parker, Paracl., II. xix. 354. To compare the universal with the limited is to be unjust to both.
absol. 1382. Wyclif, 1 Pet. iii. 18. Crist oonys dyede for oure synnes, he iust for vniuste.
1593. Shaks., Lucrece, 285. Foul hope and … fond mistrust; Both which, as servitors to the unjust, So cross him [etc.].
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 455. Th’ unjust the just hath slain, For envie.
1781. Cowper, Expost., 268. Cry to the proud, the cruel, and unjust.
1847. Emerson, Repr. Men, Plato. False opinion respecting the just and unjust.
b. Of actions, etc.: Not in accordance with justice or fairness.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 12965. This Forenses … prayet, Þat he might ryde … To Ioyne with Engest for his vniust werkes.
1549. Compl. Scot., 2. [They] intendit ane oniust veyr … contrar our realme.
a. 1586. Sidney, Astr. & Stella, V. x. I lay then to thy charge vniustest tyrannie.
1611. Bible, Prov. xxviii. 8. By vsurie and vniust gaine.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., I. 93. Are we condemned by fate’s unjust decree, No more … our homes to see?
1766. Kames, Princ. Equity (1767), 6. An action that we ought not to do is termed unjust; and the omission of what we ought to do is also termed unjust.
1858. J. B. Norton, Topics, 156. Every case of annexation has been most manifestly unjust.
1890. Retrospect Med., CII. 399. It would be unjust not to refer … to the excellent results obtained by Pawlik and Byrne.
absol. 1659. Rushworth, Hist. Coll., I. Ep. Ded. The Law … puts a Difference betwixt Good and Evil, betwixt Just and Unjust.
1733. Pope, Ess. Man, III. 269. So drives Self-love, thro’ just and thro’ unjust, To one Man’s pow’r.
2. Not upright or free from wrong-doing; faithless, dishonest. Also const. of or to. Now rare.
c. 1500. Communycacyon (W. de W.), B ij. But lorde though I haue ben uniuste … I hope to rube a waye the ruste With repentaunce and grace of the.
1526. Tindale, Luke xvi. 8. The lorde commended the uniust stewarde because he had done wysly.
a. 1593. Marlowe, Massacre Paris, II. v. 686. Thou trothles and vniust, what lines are these?
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 958. Their king accounted unjust of his word; who [etc.].
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xv. 71. When a Covenant is made, then to break it is Unjust.
1766. Goldsm., Vicar, xxxi. Else nothing could have ever made me unjust to my promise.
1897. Trollope, Barchester T., xxxix. Mr. Plomacy was not quite happy in his mind, for he thought of the unjust steward.
† 3. Improper; incorrect. Obs.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), Q vj b. They … leaue the iuste trauayle, and take vniuste idelnesse.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 98. Would they not thinke you, straight proclaime against vs the vniust name of Christians.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, II. viii. 143. Beda giveth an uniust interpretation of their name.
1713. Steele, Guard., No. 17, ¶ 1. The unjust taste they have who affect that way of pleasure.
† 4. Irregular: inexact; inaccurate. Obs.
1602. J. Davies (Heref.), Mirum in Modum, Wks. (Grosart), I. 22/2. The Sea through vaines and Arteries of the Earth, Creeps through her Corpes,… And then returnes with windings most vniust.
1612. W. Colson, Gen. Tresury, 246. Because of the vniust fractions in the said table … the said proofe will be found somewhat vniust, but tollerable.
