ungerechte

Ungerechte is a German adjective meaning unjust or unfair, formed from un- (not) and gerecht (just). It is used to describe actions, decisions, laws, or systems that violate principles of justice or fairness. In attributive position it appears before a noun, for example in phrases such as eine ungerechte Entscheidung, ungerechte Gesetze, or ungerechte Verteilungen. In predicative use after forms of sein or bleiben, the common construction is to say something is unfair or unjust, often with ungerecht rather than ungerechte in the predicate.

The term is frequently employed in ethical, political, and legal discussions to label practices considered discriminatory, biased, or unequal. Examples include unjust laws, unequal resource distribution, or unfair administrative procedures. The word can also describe people or groups when used in a nominal sense, although more typical is to use the related noun Ungerechtigkeit (injustice) or die Ungerechten (the unjust) for referring to individuals or classes.

Ungerechte contrasts with gerecht (just) and with more abstract nouns such as Ungerechtigkeit (injustice) and Gerechtigkeit (justice). The concept is central to debates on fairness, human rights, and the rule of law, and it appears across philosophy, sociology, and public discourse.

Notes and related terms: Ungerechtigkeit refers to the abstract notion of injustice, while ungerecht is the more common predicate adjective in everyday language (das ist ungerecht). Similar notions exist in other languages, with Dutch onrecht or oneerlijkheid as parallels; in English, unjust or injustice serves the corresponding function.

See also: Gerechtigkeit, Ungerechtigkeit, Ungerechte (as a noun form), unjust laws, distributive justice.