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

The answer is fairly simple and goes to a much broader pushback against work platforms tracking locations and behavior. —Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

But as both McGlinchey and defensive tackle Zach Allen indicated Monday, rallying around career backup Stidham is a fairly easy task. —Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026

Once applied, a self-tanner should dry fairly quickly, usually within the first 10 minutes. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026

Allowing Brooks to steer the documentary, Apatow and Bonfiglio are able to stick to a fairly strict chronology. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 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