1
a
: marked by impartiality and honesty : free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism
a very fair person to do business with
c
: open to legitimate pursuit, attack, or ridicule
fair game
2
a
: not very good or very bad : of average or acceptable quality
Her work was only fair.
a patient upgraded from serious to fair condition
b
: sufficient but not ample : adequate
a fair understanding of the work
a fair chance of winning
c
: moderately numerous, large, or significant
takes a fair amount of time
a fair number of participants
3
: not stormy or foul : fine
fair weather
4
: having very little color, coloring, or pigmentation : very light
fair hair
fair skin
a person of fair complexion
5
: pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming, or flawless quality
The innkeeper had two fair daughters.
6
: superficially pleasing : specious
she trusted his fair promises
8
: ample
a fair estate
10
: being such to the utmost : utter
a fair treat to watch him—
New Republic
New Republic11
archaic
: free of obstacles
1
: a gathering of buyers and sellers at a particular place and time for trade
2
a
: a competitive exhibition usually with accompanying entertainment and amusements
an agricultural fair
b
: an exhibition designed to acquaint prospective buyers or the general public with a product
a book fair
c
: an exposition that promotes the availability of services or opportunities
health fairs
job fairs
3
: a sale of assorted articles usually for a charitable purpose
1
: in a manner that is honest or impartial or that conforms to rules : in a fair manner
play fair
2
chiefly British
: fairly sense 3
fair makes you want to cry
faired; fairing; fairs
of the weather
: clear
: to join so that the external surfaces blend smoothly
1
: something that is fair or fortunate (see fair entry 1)
3
Did you know?
Fair in Love and War
For many people, the word fair brings to mind the aphorism “all is fair in love and war.” We have been using some variation of this saying for quite some time, although, as with many such expressions, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when it began. As far back as 1578 John Lyly wrote “anye impietie may lawfully be committed in loue, which is lawlesse.” We do not see evidence of war juxtaposed with love until 1687, when Aphra Behn wrote “All Advantages are lawful in Love and War” in her play The Emperor of the Moon. By 1717 this had morphed into “All advantages are fair in love and war” in William Taverner’s play The Artful Husband. Finally, by 1789 we find the line used exactly as it is today in the novel The Relapse: “Tho’ this was a confounded lie, my friend, ‘all is fair in love and war’.”
Examples of fair in a Sentence
Adjective
"You boys not looking for any trouble, are you?" The question was fair. Millat's Crew looked like trouble.
—Zadie Smith, White Teeth, (2000) 2001
"I have a good relationship with both Eddie and David. I think they've been fair to me."
—Joni Mitchell, quoted in Rolling Stone, 30 May 1991
Everybody out, the Iraqis said, except CNN. Even CNN isn't sure why they made that decision. Perhaps it is because CNN alone is seen globally. What the Iraqis told us is that they had found our coverage since August to have been "fair."
—Peter Arnett, Washington Post, 25-31 Mar. 1991
That's a fair question, and it deserves an honest reply.
He is known as a very fair man.
I try to be fair to my children.
He claims that the competition wasn't fair.
It's not fair that she gets to leave early and I don't.
a fair and impartial jury
a bargain that is fair to everyone
“What a bad movie!” “Be fair! Parts of it are actually pretty funny.”
I can't say I liked the movie, but, to be fair, parts of it are pretty funny.
She did poorly on the test, but, to be fair, so did a lot of other people.
Noun (1)
At night the sparkling lights, hurdy-gurdy music of the merry-go-round, excited children, and screams of the riders on the roller coaster that races overhead recall the gaiety of a carnival midway at a county fair.
—Witold Rybczynski, Atlantic, May 1993
Back at the street fair, in the smoky heat among vendors of souvenirs and street food, a flock of kids dances around a boom box playing Lionel Richie.
—Barbara Kingsolver, New York Times Magazine, 12 Sept. 1993
"Do you like to go out? You know, party?" "Who doesn't?" "Well, the Ebony Fashion Fair is in three weeks. You want to go?"
—Terry McMillan, Waiting to Exhale, 1992
a dazzling array of sleek cabin cruisers at the annual boat fair
Adverb
we expect everyone on this basketball court to play fair
it fair takes your breath away when you find out what properties in London are going for
Zadie Smith, White Teeth, (2000) 2001
"I have a good relationship with both Eddie and David. I think they've been fair to me."
—Joni Mitchell, quoted in Rolling Stone, 30 May 1991
Everybody out, the Iraqis said, except CNN. Even CNN isn't sure why they made that decision. Perhaps it is because CNN alone is seen globally. What the Iraqis told us is that they had found our coverage since August to have been "fair."
—Peter Arnett, Washington Post, 25-31 Mar. 1991
That's a fair question, and it deserves an honest reply.
He is known as a very fair man.
I try to be fair to my children.
He claims that the competition wasn't fair.
It's not fair that she gets to leave early and I don't.
a fair and impartial jury
a bargain that is fair to everyone
“What a bad movie!” “Be fair! Parts of it are actually pretty funny.”
I can't say I liked the movie, but, to be fair, parts of it are pretty funny.
She did poorly on the test, but, to be fair, so did a lot of other people.
Noun (1)
At night the sparkling lights, hurdy-gurdy music of the merry-go-round, excited children, and screams of the riders on the roller coaster that races overhead recall the gaiety of a carnival midway at a county fair.
—Witold Rybczynski, Atlantic, May 1993
Back at the street fair, in the smoky heat among vendors of souvenirs and street food, a flock of kids dances around a boom box playing Lionel Richie.
—Barbara Kingsolver, New York Times Magazine, 12 Sept. 1993
"Do you like to go out? You know, party?" "Who doesn't?" "Well, the Ebony Fashion Fair is in three weeks. You want to go?"
—Terry McMillan, Waiting to Exhale, 1992
a dazzling array of sleek cabin cruisers at the annual boat fair
Adverb
we expect everyone on this basketball court to play fair
it fair takes your breath away when you find out what properties in London are going for
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The event was initially hosted as a way to raise money for the Fourth of July fireworks show, but over the years, the fair and cook-off’s operating costs have increased significantly.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025
Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Abdul Rehman Saeed is one of the job seekers at this fair.
—Rob Schmitz, NPR, 28 June 2025
Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
Aspiring teachers found themselves in the driver’s seat at Friday’s teacher recruitment fair sponsored by the Indiana University Northwest School of Education.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2025
Under an especially beautiful carbon fiber fairing lurks an inline four engine punching out over 230 hp (169 kW) of electronically refined hellfire.
—Joe Salas
may 25, New Atlas, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fair
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show current usage.
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Adjective
To be fair, PSG has made many a team look bad, some in this competition (the 4-0 demolition of Atletico Madrid in its tournament opener) and in others (its 5-0 trouncing of Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final last month.).
—Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The event was initially hosted as a way to raise money for the Fourth of July fireworks show, but over the years, the fair and cook-off’s operating costs have increased significantly.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025
Noun
Indigenous artists and artists descended from New Mexico’s Spanish colonizers will show at the fair.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Abdul Rehman Saeed is one of the job seekers at this fair.
—Rob Schmitz, NPR, 28 June 2025
Adverb
Elgin recently hosted a landlord fair attended by about 70 property owners.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
Aspiring teachers found themselves in the driver’s seat at Friday’s teacher recruitment fair sponsored by the Indiana University Northwest School of Education.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
Eclipse’s design is based on a combination of Antares and Alpha, and will have an 18-foot-diameter fairing similar to Falcon 9 and Vulcan.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2025
Under an especially beautiful carbon fiber fairing lurks an inline four engine punching out over 230 hp (169 kW) of electronically refined hellfire.
—Joe Salas
may 25, New Atlas, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fair
Cite this Entry
“Fair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fair
1 of 3 adjective
ˈfa(ə)r 
ˈfe(ə)r
1
: attractive in appearance : beautiful
our fair city
2
a
: clean entry 1 sense 2, pure
fair sparkling water
b
: clear entry 1 sense 3, legible
make a fair copy
3
: not stormy or cloudy
fair weather
4
6
: not dark
fair skin
7
: neither good nor bad
did a fair job
fairness
noun
fair
2 of 3 adverb
: in a fair manner
play fair
fair
3 of 3 noun1
: a gathering of buyers and sellers for trade
2
: an exhibition (as of farm products) usually with accompanying entertainment, amusements, and competitions
3
: a sale of articles usually for a charitable purpose
Etymology
Adjective
Old English fæger "pleasing to the eye or mind"
Noun
Middle English feire "a gathering of buyers and sellers," from early French feire (same meaning), from Latin feria "weekday, fair," derived from earlier feriae (plural) "holidays"
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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