fairly

adverb

fair·ly | \ ˈfer-lē

How to pronounce fairly (audio)

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Definition of fairly

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

4a : 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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about fairly

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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 truth is that data breaches have, unfortunately, become fairly common for a wide range of online services. — Clare Duffy, CNN, "So you're one of 533 million in the Facebook leak. What now?," 6 Apr. 2021 The tendency of political journalists to accuse presidents of deflecting questions has increased in recent decades and has become fairly common. — David E. Clementson, The Conversation, "4 reasons no president should want to give a press conference," 19 Mar. 2021 Mass burials of plague victims were fairly common in medieval Europe. — Isis Davis-marks, Smithsonian Magazine, "Analysis of 6,200-Year-Old Grave Raises New Questions About Neolithic Massacre," 17 Mar. 2021 Buying out player contracts has become a fairly common practice in today’s NBA, with Blake Griffin and the Detroit Pistons being the latest example of this. — Evan Dammarell, Forbes, "The Cleveland Cavaliers Should Consider Buying Out Kevin Love’s Contract," 17 Mar. 2021 Some were fairly common sense, like improving access for people with disabilities and developing back-up plans for equipment failures on Election Day. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Why Republicans Won’t Shut Up About a 16-Year-Old Bipartisan Report on Election Reform," 10 Mar. 2021 Other fairly common big life decisions include starting a new job and pursuing a degree. — Adrian R. Camilleri, Quartz, "Valuable lessons for making difficult decisions," 5 Mar. 2021 The conditions are fairly common for this time of year, although this winter has seen more Santa Ana events than is typical, Sweet said. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, "More Santa Ana winds in Southern California are on the way," 27 Feb. 2021 Unfortunately, that's fairly common with this disease, which is often invisible. — Lauren Caruso, Allure, "Why Psoriatic Arthritis Is So Difficult to Diagnose," 26 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fairly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near fairly

fair-maids-of-France

Statistics for fairly

Last Updated

12 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Fairly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairly. Accessed 19 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for fairly

fairly

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of fairly

: to some degree or extent but not very or extremely : to a reasonable or moderate extent

: in a way that is right or proper : in a fair way

—used for emphasis before a verb that is being used figuratively

See the full definition for fairly in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fairly

adverb

fair·ly | \ ˈfer-lē

\

Kids Definition of fairly

1 : in a just and proper manner I was treated fairly.

2 : very close to He was fairly bursting with pride.

3 : for the most part : rather It's a fairly easy job.

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