1
a(1)
: marked by impartiality and honesty : free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism
a very fair person to do business with
a fair and impartial jury
All she wants is a fair chance.
They try to be fair to/with their children.
Now to be fair, we got a few things wrong, too.—
David Hale
David Hale
(2)
: conforming to what is just, good, or proper
It's only fair to tell them the truth.
b(1)
: conforming with the established rules : allowed
The referee said the goal was fair.
see also fair ball, fair catch, fair play, fair use
(2)
: conforming to its merits or importance : due
The subject has received its fair share of attention.
(3)
: being or involving an equitable exchange
a fair bargain/deal/trade
fair wages
a fair valuation
(4)
: not unreasonable : justified, valid
That's a fair question.
… it would be fair to describe the … team as a work in progress.—Howard Herman
Howard Herman… companies don't hire people out of the goodness in their heart. They spend money to make more money. Fair enough …—Richard Rae
Richard Rae… a book that, I think it's fair to say, is not your typical best-seller-list page turner.—Calvin Trillin
Calvin Trillin
c
: open to legitimate pursuit, attack, or ridicule
But politicians and the royal family were still treated by the tabloids as fair game.—Simon Jenkins
Simon Jenkins2
a
: not very good or very bad : of average or acceptable quality
Their work was only fair.
a patient upgraded from serious to fair condition
b
: sufficient but not ample : adequate
a fair understanding of the topic
a fair chance of winning
He was able to give us a fair idea of the problems involved.
c
: moderately numerous, large, or significant
takes a fair amount of time
a fair number of participants
He lives a fair distance from here.
3
: not stormy or foul : fine
fair weather
4
: having very little color, coloring, or pigmentation : very light
fair hair
fair skin
a person of fair complexion
5
literary + old-fashioned
: pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming, or flawless quality
our fair city
Who's the fairest of them all?
6
: superficially pleasing : specious
She trusted his fair promises.
8
: ample
a fair estate
10
: carried to the utmost point or highest degree : utter
a fair miracle
11
archaic
: free of obstacles
1
: in a manner that is honest or impartial or that conforms to rules : in a fair manner
He claimed that his opponent wasn't playing fair.
2
chiefly British
: fairly sense 3
fair makes you want to cry
Did you know?
Fair in Love and War
For many people, the word fair brings to mind the aphorism “all is fair in love and war.” We have been using some variation of this saying for quite some time, although, as with many such expressions, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when it began. As far back as 1578 John Lyly wrote “anye impietie may lawfully be committed in loue, which is lawlesse.” We do not see evidence of war juxtaposed with love until 1687, when Aphra Behn wrote “All Advantages are lawful in Love and War” in her play The Emperor of the Moon. By 1717 this had morphed into “All advantages are fair in love and war” in William Taverner’s play The Artful Husband. Finally, by 1789 we find the line used exactly as it is today in the novel The Relapse: “Tho’ this was a confounded lie, my friend, ‘all is fair in love and war’.”
Examples of fair in a Sentence
Adjective
"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
"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
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
That's a fair question, and it deserves an honest reply.
He is known as a very fair man.
I try to be fair to my children.
He claims that the competition wasn't fair.
It's not fair that she gets to leave early and I don't.
a fair and impartial jury
a bargain that is fair to everyone
“What a bad movie!” “Be fair! Parts of it are actually pretty funny.”
I can't say I liked the movie, but, to be fair, parts of it are pretty funny.
She did poorly on the test, but, to be fair, so did a lot of other people.
Adverb
we expect everyone on this basketball court to play fair
it fair takes your breath away when you find out what properties in London are going for
Zadie Smith, White Teeth, (2000) 2001
"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
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
That's a fair question, and it deserves an honest reply.
He is known as a very fair man.
I try to be fair to my children.
He claims that the competition wasn't fair.
It's not fair that she gets to leave early and I don't.
a fair and impartial jury
a bargain that is fair to everyone
“What a bad movie!” “Be fair! Parts of it are actually pretty funny.”
I can't say I liked the movie, but, to be fair, parts of it are pretty funny.
She did poorly on the test, but, to be fair, so did a lot of other people.
Adverb
we expect everyone on this basketball court to play fair
it fair takes your breath away when you find out what properties in London are going for
Recent Examples on the Web
Zev Fima, CNBC, 29 May 2026
In my brief time with the Aspire 18 AI, the panel looked fair under outdoor lighting (albeit not direct sunlight) and had fine off-angle visibility.
—John Burek, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
Chris Willman, Variety, 28 May 2026
Elizabeth Dee, the founder of Independent — the 17-year-old art fair focused on artists making their New York debut — wanted to embrace the moment.
—Natalia Torija, Curbed, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fair
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Comparable sales, or comps, is a key metric for the retail industry that adjusts for new store openings and closings to ensure fair year-over-year comparisons.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 29 May 2026
In my brief time with the Aspire 18 AI, the panel looked fair under outdoor lighting (albeit not direct sunlight) and had fine off-angle visibility.
—John Burek, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
Adverb
So far, the other artists advertised as headlining concerts during the June 25-July 10 fair on the Mall have not spoken up about their involvement.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 28 May 2026
Elizabeth Dee, the founder of Independent — the 17-year-old art fair focused on artists making their New York debut — wanted to embrace the moment.
—Natalia Torija, Curbed, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fair
Cite this Entry
“Fair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fair
1 of 3 adjective
ˈfa(ə)r 
ˈfe(ə)r
1
: attractive in appearance : beautiful
our fair city
2
a
: clean entry 1 sense 2, pure
fair sparkling water
b
: clear entry 1 sense 3, legible
make a fair copy
3
: not stormy or cloudy
fair weather
4
6
: not dark
fair skin
7
: neither good nor bad
did a fair job
fairness
noun
fair
2 of 3 adverb
: in a fair manner
play fair
fair
3 of 3 noun1
: a gathering of buyers and sellers for trade
2
: an exhibition (as of farm products) usually with accompanying entertainment, amusements, and competitions
3
: a sale of articles usually for a charitable purpose
Etymology
Adjective
Old English fæger "pleasing to the eye or mind"
Noun
Middle English feire "a gathering of buyers and sellers," from early French feire (same meaning), from Latin feria "weekday, fair," derived from earlier feriae (plural) "holidays"
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
