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 The drones’ incendiary spray is fairly inaccurate, which is why the 30th Mechanized Brigade had to immobilize that Russian tank before the brigade’s dragon drone could swoop in. David Axe, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 Sondheim, a famous letter writer, wrote to her fairly often. Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2024 The wireless network operator hasn't disclosed what caused the issue, and that's fairly standard if networks go down for a few hours at a time. John Kell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2024 That was a reminder of how Harris could be hostage to developments around the world that the Republicans will blame her for, fairly or not. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fairly 

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 10 Oct. 2024.

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

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