fair

¹fair

adj \ˈfer\

Definition of FAIR

1

: pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming, or flawless quality

2

: superficially pleasing : specious <she trusted his fair promises>

3

a : clean, pure <fair sparkling water> b : clear, legible

4

: not stormy or foul : fine <fair weather>

5

: ample <a fair estate>

6

a : marked by impartiality and honesty : free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism <a very fair person to do business with> b (1) : conforming with the established rules : allowed (2) : consonant with merit or importance : due <a fair share> c : open to legitimate pursuit, attack, or ridicule <fair game>

7

a : promising, likely <in a fair way to win> b : favorable to a ship's course <a fair wind>

8

archaic : free of obstacles

9

: not dark <fair skin>

10

a : sufficient but not ample : adequate <a fair understanding of the work> b : moderately numerous, large, or significant <takes a fair amount of time>

11

: being such to the utmost : utter <a fair treat to watch him — New Republic>

— fair·ness noun

Examples of FAIR

1. That's a fair question, and it deserves an honest reply.
2. He is known as a very fair man.
3. I try to be fair to my children.
4. He claims that the competition wasn't fair.
5. It's not fair that she gets to leave early and I don't.
6. a fair and impartial jury
7. a bargain that is fair to everyone
8. “What a bad movie!” “Be fair! Parts of it are actually pretty funny.”
9. I can't say I liked the movie, but, to be fair, parts of it are pretty funny.
10. She did poorly on the test, but, to be fair, so did a lot of other people.
11. “You boys not looking for any trouble, are you?” The question was fair. Millat's Crew looked like trouble. —Zadie Smith, White Teeth, (2000) 2001
12. “I have a good relationship with both Eddie and David. I think they've been fair to me.” —Joni Mitchell, quoted in Rolling Stone, 30 May 1991
13. Everybody out, the Iraqis said, except CNN. Even CNN isn't sure why they made that decision. Perhaps it is because CNN alone is seen globally. What the Iraqis told us is that they had found our coverage since August to have been “fair.” —Peter Arnett, Washington Post, 25-31 Mar. 1991

Origin of FAIR

Middle English fager, fair, from Old English fæger; akin to Old High German fagar beautiful

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to FAIR

Synonyms: bright, clear, cloudless, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded

Antonyms: bleak, cloudy, dirty, foul, nasty, overcast, rainy, raw, rough, squally, stormy, sunless, tempestuous, turbulent

Related Words: balmy, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate; calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, serene, tranquil; fine, pleasant

Near Antonyms: harsh, inclement, severe; blustering, blustery, breezy, gusty; foggy, hazy, misty, murky, soupy

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of FAIR

fair, just, equitable, impartial, unbiased, dispassionate, objective mean free from favor toward either or any side. fair implies a proper balance of conflicting interests <a fair decision>. just implies an exact following of a standard of what is right and proper <a just settlement of territorial claims>. equitable implies a less rigorous standard than just and usually suggests equal treatment of all concerned <the equitable distribution of the property>. impartial stresses an absence of favor or prejudice <an impartial third party>. unbiased implies even more strongly an absence of all prejudice <your unbiased opinion>. dispassionate suggests freedom from the influence of strong feeling and often implies cool or even cold judgment <a dispassionate summation of the facts>. objective stresses a tendency to view events or persons as apart from oneself and one's own interest or feelings <I can't be objective about my own child>.

Rhymes with FAIR

air, Ayr, bare, bear, Blair, blare, care, chair, chare, dare, Dare, e'er, ere, err, eyre, fare, flair, flare, glair, glare, hair, hare, Herr, heir, lair, mare, ne'er, pair, pare, pear, prayer, rare, rear, scare, share, snare, spare, square, stair, stare, swear, tare, tear, their, there, vair, ware, wear, weir, where, yare