ebaõiglase

Ebaõiglase is Estonian an adjective meaning unfair or not just. It is the inflected form used before a noun, most commonly in the genitive singular, as in ebaõiglase kohtuotsuse “an unfair court ruling.” The base form is ebaõiglane.

Etymology and formation: eba- is a negation prefix meaning “not,” attached to õiglane, which derives from õigus meaning “right,” “justice,” or “law.” Together they form a word describing a lack of fairness or legality. Like other adjectives in Estonian, ebaõiglase changes to agree with the noun it modifies, so it appears in different cases and numbers (for example ebaõiglase käitumise, “unfair behavior,” in the genitive singular).

Usage and nuance: ebaõiglase is used in legal, political, moral, and everyday contexts to characterize actions, decisions, or treatments as lacking fairness. It often conveys a normative judgment about propriety or legality, rather than mere disagreement. The term can be applied to individuals, institutions, policies, or processes when they betray fairness or due process.

Examples:

- ebaõiglase kohtuotsuse tõttu pöördus ta kõrgemasse kohtusse. (Because of the unfair court ruling, he appealed to a higher court.)

- need ebaõiglased praktykised on vastuolus inimõigustega. (these unfair practices conflict with human rights.)

Related terms: opposed by õiglase (fair, just) and õigus (right, law); related concepts include õigluse (fairness) and ebalojaalsus (disloyalty) but with different nuances. As a descriptive label, ebaõiglase emphasizes a lack of fairness in contrast to legitimate or just processes.