fairly

adverb

fair·​ly ˈfer-lē 

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

Synonyms

• pretty
• relatively
• quite
• rather
• somewhat

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

Durant’s primary messages early in his time with Smith have been to trust himself and play without hesitation, and Smith abided by those words fairly well against the Hawks. —William Guillory, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

The altitude is low enough to allow for things like satellites to circle Earth fairly quickly. —Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025

The health impacts of plastics may be alarming, but there are fairly simple ways people can reduce their exposure to many of them, experts say. —Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025

The player starts outside a house, fairly suburban and plain. —James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for fairly

• barely
• rarely
• squarely
• unfairly

Kids Definition

fairly

adverb

fair·​ly ˈfa(ə)r-lē 

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