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

While most annual meteor showers follow a fairly predictable script, the June Bootids have a habit of surprising astronomers. —Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 19 June 2026

Shortly, the reshaping of the Charlotte Hornets’ roster should be fairly complete. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026

The evidence on personality change in adulthood is, by now, fairly clear. —Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

No value would be destroyed if elements of this contract were revised as part of this sale; it would merely be reapportioned, more fairly in our view. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 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