fairly

adverb fair·ly \ ˈfer-lē \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

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

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 5, moderately

a fairly easy job

See fairly defined for English-language learners

See fairly defined for kids

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 of fairly from the Web

Once one hatches, the others should follow fairly quickly.

— laura james-reim, Indianapolis Star, "Downtown falcon eggs ready to hatch in new May event," 6 May 2018
The company estimates 0–60 mph in 4.7 seconds, although that’s in a setting that’s likely to deplete the battery charge fairly quickly.

— zac estrada, The Verge, "The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid is more important than the gas models," 6 May 2018
Copacabana Cuban Cafe brought a new spot for islands eats to Mount Dora about 9 years ago — and fairly recently did the same in Altamonte Springs.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Copacabana Cuban Cafe bringing comfort food to Altamonte Springs," 4 May 2018
Interestingly, the existence of the time capsule -- a rectangular copper box soldered shut -- was not known until fairly recently.

— jeff piorkowski/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Lyndhurst Masonic lodge celebrates 150 years by opening time capsule; Shaker roots remembered," 30 Apr. 2018
Until fairly recently, the NBA featured players who toiled for four college seasons before turning professional.

— dan shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, "The greatest collection of 21-and-under talents are powering our Boston sports teams," 29 Apr. 2018
The Mail Online reports (via the Sun on Sunday) that Pippa has allegedly had her 12-week scan fairly recently, and has begun to tell people the happy news.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Pippa Middleton Is Reportedly Pregnant With Her First Child," 22 Apr. 2018
One rumor was correct, but it was only confirmed fairly recently.

— michael s. rosenwald, Washington Post, "A masked shooter. A campus killing. And a manhunt 159 years before Columbine.," 20 Apr. 2018
Instagram, until fairly recently, was the province of pop and reality stars, its rulers the likes of Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, and the Kardashian sisters.

— josh duboff, Vanities, "Why Nicole Kidman’s Instagram Marks a New Era in Stardom," 6 Apr. 2018

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.

First Known Use of fairly

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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fairly Synonyms

FAIRLY Defined for English Language Learners

fairly

adverb

Definition of fairly for English Language Learners

: 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