fairly

adverb

fair·​ly ˈfer-lē How to pronounce fairly (audio)
1
: in a handsome manner
a table fairly set
2
obsolete
a
: in a gentle manner : quietly
b
: in a courteous manner
3
: so to speak : nearly, practically
fairly bursting with pride
4
a
: in a proper or legal manner
fairly priced stocks
b
: without bias or distortion : impartially
a story told fairly and objectively
5
: to a full degree or extent : plainly, distinctly
had fairly caught sight of him
6
: rather sense 5, moderately
a fairly easy job

Examples of fairly in a Sentence

It's a fairly common disease. I told the story as fairly as possible. He reports fairly on the issues. He beat me fairly and squarely.
Recent Examples on the Web Readers returning from the Thanksgiving break were treated to two Heard on the Street columns about developments that will start to impact our lives, and our stock portfolios, fairly soon. Heard Editors, WSJ, 25 Nov. 2023 Luckily, treatment for iron deficiency is fairly routine. Christina Pérez, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2023 Digital platforms have made listing and advertising fairly commoditized. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2023 On Friday, June Steenkamp opened up in a victim impact statement obtained by PEOPLE and urged the parole board panels to take measures toward fairly evaluating an inmate’s rehabilitation by determining whether the convicted is truly remorseful. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023 Participants were split fairly evenly between women and men, and all were dementia-free at the start of the study. Byerin Prater, Fortune Well, 24 Nov. 2023 However, the national gas price has declined fairly steadily since September, according to the data. Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 23 Nov. 2023 In fact, as private islands go, Hinton’s is fairly modest—two acres in total. Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 Backup quarterback Jameis Winston threw two fairly amazing touchdown passes, but once the Saints got within 8 points, Mekhi Blackmon and Byron Murphy intercepted two of Winston’s passes. Steve Silverman, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fairly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fairly was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fairly

Cite this Entry

“Fairly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairly. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

fairly

adverb
fair·​ly ˈfa(ə)r-lē How to pronounce fairly (audio)
ˈfe(ə)r-
1
: in a favorable manner
fairly situated
2
: in a manner of speaking : nearly
fairly bursting with pride
3
: in a fair manner : justly
treat each person fairly
4
: for the most part : rather
a fairly easy job

More from Merriam-Webster on fairly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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