unbillig

Unbillig is a Norwegian and Danish adjective meaning not reasonable, not fair, or exorbitant. It is used to describe prices, terms, or demands that are considered excessive or unjust. In Norwegian, unbillig is more formal and is often found in journalism, consumer protection language, and legal or contractual contexts. In everyday speech, the related word urimelig is more common, but unbillig still appears in official writing and more precise critique.

Etymology and nuance: the term is formed from billig, meaning cheap, prefixed by un-, yielding literally not cheap. Over time the sense broadened to express normative judgment about reasonableness or fairness rather than a simple price level. The word thus conveys that something is morally or practically beyond what is acceptable, beyond mere cost.

Usage and examples: typical collocations include unbillige priser (unreasonable or overpriced prices), unbillige vilkår (unfair terms), and unbillige krav (exorbitant demands). It can also describe behavior or conduct deemed inappropriate or improper in a given context. In legal or consumer-protection discourse, unbillig is used to flag terms or actions as needing scrutiny or redress.

See also: urimelig, urimelighet, billig. The term unbillig is part of a spectrum of expressions describing fairness and reasonableness, with urimelig serving as the more common everyday equivalent in many contexts.