a fair hearing

noun

: a consideration of statements or arguments from both sides of an issue
They agreed to give both sides a fair hearing.

Examples of a fair hearing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In early May, Johnson visited Springfield and, seemingly out of nowhere, raised the prospect of resurrecting the lakefront stadium plan and saying Chicago’s 2024 plan never got a fair hearing in the state capitol. Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026 The other thing that’s important in crowdfunds, both large and small, is cultivating a sense of audience participation and an underdog story about bringing a project to life that wouldn’t get a fair hearing. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026 Calling people names, especially names that are incendiary in content, wins no arguments and creates opposition instead of a fair hearing for one's counter-arguments. Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026 Every individual before the court — whether a victim seeking justice or a defendant seeking a fair hearing — deserves a system that works reliably. Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2026 Kelly could argue that there are no safeguards in his case to ensure a fair hearing and that the case should move from military courts to federal courts. Joshua Kastenberg, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025 The large settlement came after a state appeals court ruled the city had denied Petrovich a fair hearing on his proposal to build a gas station there. Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025 However, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in July that Semenya hadn't had a fair hearing at the Swiss tribunal, and it hadn't properly considered some of the complex arguments. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025 Kilmar—like everyone—deserves a fair hearing to defend himself. Amanda Castro hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“A fair hearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20fair%20hearing. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster