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

Critics will note, fairly, that $1,000 cannot close a million-dollar wealth gap. — Arellana Barela Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026

The new tunes fit in fairly seamlessly with the older material, boosting a slightly more mature sound, but still comfortably coming across as unapologetically pop. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 12 July 2026

Some crew members in the doc seem to think that Schettino was fairly new to working as a ship captain, but according to a BBC profile, Schettino had been employed by Costa Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival, since 2002. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 11 July 2026

Bellows has done fairly little to spread awareness of her Senate campaign on social media. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026

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