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

But what had been a fairly uneventful ceremony was interrupted by the shouting of a racial slur, leading to a controversy that has continued to reverberate. —Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026

Episodes are split fairly equally between the past and the present. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026

In addition to the payments, the landlord is required to disclose its leasing prices and establish procedures to fairly handle security deposits, according to the announcement. —Neal Franklin, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026

The full impact of Denver’s internal signings, releases and restructures on Denver’s 2026 cap are not yet fully clear, but fairly strong estimates can be made with the help of NFLPA and OvertheCap data. —Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 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