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 of fairly

• 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

Of course, 12 teams get into the playoff, so at the moment, the Crimson Tide should be feeling fairly comfortable. —Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

Though the two are fairly private about their family life, JD and his wife have stepped out together for a number of political events. —Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025

Many cash-back credit cards only offer 1% to 2% cash back for general shopping, so 5% cash back is fairly competitive. —Layla Melendez, CNBC, 24 Nov. 2025

In this belief system, how can women legitimately compete fairly? —Soraya Chemaly, Time, 24 Nov. 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