injustice English · revision 39506

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1390, Gower, Confessio Amantis|origins=la iūstus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * US: /ɪnˈd͡ʒʌs.tɪs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|injustice]],^(AHD 2024)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|fro|injustice|t=unfairness, injustice]],^(Etymonline)^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988) a learned borrowing of [[la|iniūstitia|t=unfairness, injustice]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2024) from [[m|la|iniūstus|t=unjust, wrongful]], formed from [[m|la|in-|t=not]] and [[m|la|iūstus|t=just]].^(AHD 2024)^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) The OED dates the French word to the 14th century, in Oresme,^(OED 2026) and in Anglo-Norman it is recorded from about 1360–79, meaning wrongdoing.^(AND) An adjective [[injust]], also from French, appeared in the late 15th century, but [[unjust]] remained the usual English word.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Unjust action, wrong: 1390, in Gower's ''Confessio Amantis'';^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988) Barnhart dates the text before 1393, and Etymonline gives the late 14th century.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word has kept its meaning since Gower: from the start it named both unfairness in general and, with ''an'' and in the plural, a single unjust act.^(OED 2026) Johnson (1755) defined it as "iniquity; wrong", quoting Swift on cunning men who can be "guilty of a thousand injustices" without being found out.^(Johnson 1755) The phrase ''do someone an injustice'' means to judge a person unfairly.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1360–79 – Anglo-Norman ''injustice'', wrongdoing.^(AND)

+ * 1390 – unjust action, wrong, in Gower.^(OED 2026)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * late 15th century – the adjective ''injust''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1755 – Johnson: "iniquity; wrong".^(Johnson 1755)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Lack of [[justice]] or [[fairness]]; violation of other people's [[right|alt=rights]].^(AHD 2024)^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)

+ # A particular unjust act; a [[wrong]]: ''The new law put right a long-standing injustice.''^(AHD 2024)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''do someone an injustice'': to judge someone unfairly.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[just]]

+ * [[justice]]

+ * [[unjust]]

+ * [[justify]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}