Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

u n|fai r di s|mi s|sal N‑UNCOUNT If an employee claims unfair dismissal , they begin a legal action against their employer in which they claim that they were dismissed from their job unfairly. [BUSINESS ] □  His former chauffeur is claiming unfair dismissal on the grounds of racial discrimination.

un|faith|ful /ʌ nfe I θfʊl/ ADJ If someone is unfaithful to their lover or to the person they are married to, they have a sexual relationship with someone else. □ [+ to ] James had been unfaithful to Christine for the entire four years they'd been together. □  …her unfaithful partner.

un|fa|mil|iar /ʌ nfəm I l I ə ^r /

1 ADJ If something is unfamiliar to you, you know nothing or very little about it, because you have not seen or experienced it before. □ [+ to ] She grew many wonderful plants that were unfamiliar to me. □  I was alone in an unfamiliar city. ●  un|fa|mili|ar|ity /ʌ nfəm I liæ r I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] □ [+ to ] …problems which arise from the newness of the approach and its unfamiliarity to prisoners.

2 ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] If you are unfamiliar with something, it is unfamiliar to you. □ [+ with ] She speaks no Japanese and is unfamiliar with Japanese culture. ●  un|fa|mili|ar|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ with ] …her unfamiliarity with the politics of the region.

un|fash|ion|able /ʌ nfæ ʃənəb ^ə l/

1 ADJ If something is unfashionable , it is not approved of or done by most people. □  Wearing fur has become deeply unfashionable. □  She knew that her views were unfashionable. ●  un|fash|ion|ably ADV [usu ADV adj] □  He wears his blonde hair unfashionably long.

2 ADJ Clothes that are unfashionable , are not in fashion. □  …a short woman in a full, unfashionable skirt.

un|fas|ten /ʌ nfɑː s ^ə n, -fæ s ^ə n/ (unfastens , unfastening , unfastened ) VERB If you unfasten something that is closed, tied, or held together, or if you unfasten the thing holding it, you loosen or remove the thing holding it. □ [V n] When Ted was six we decided that he needed to know how to fasten and unfasten his seat belt. □ [V n] Reaching down, he unfastened the latch on the gate. □ [V -ed] He once emerged from the toilets with his flies unfastened.

un|fath|om|able /ʌnfæ ðəməb ^ə l/

1 ADJ If you describe something as unfathomable , you mean that it cannot be understood or explained, usually because it is very strange or complicated. □  For some unfathomable reason, there are no stairs where there should be. □  How odd life was, how unfathomable, how profoundly unjust.

2 ADJ If you use unfathomable to describe a person or the expression on their face, you mean that you cannot tell what they are thinking or what they intend to do. [LITERARY ] □  …a strange, unfathomable and unpredictable individual. □  …the dark eyes that right now seemed opaque and unfathomable.

un|fa|vour|able /ʌ nfe I vərəb ^ə l/ in AM, use unfavorable 1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Unfavourable conditions or circumstances cause problems for you and reduce your chances of success. □  Unfavourable economic conditions were blocking a recovery of the insurance market. □  Unfavourable weather has had damaging effects on this year's harvest. □ [+ for ] The whole international economic situation is very unfavourable for the countries in the south.