fairness

noun

fair·​ness ˈfer-nəs 

: the quality or state of being fair

especially : fair or impartial treatment : lack of favoritism toward one side or another

This is the real Ponzi scheme that does injury to the American promise of fairness …

—Jesse Jackson

The rules reflect the principles of procedural due process and fundamental fairness prescribed by the Constitution …

—James O. Freedman

… partisan gerrymandering has got so out of hand that it was up to the courts to restore a measure of fairness.

—Jeffrey Toobin

We are living in the harsh world invented by a handful of corporate raiders whose values are completely foreign to the fairness and moderation that had so long served as the proper foundation of American success and the American dream.

—Doris Haddock

He did poorly, but in (all) fairness [=to be fair to him], he was tired.

Synonyms of fairness

• beauty
• beautifulness
• attractiveness
• aesthetics
• elegance

Examples of fairness in a Sentence

a city of incomparable fairness, Venice has enchanted travelers for centuries

fairness was certainly uppermost in the elderly woman's mind as she made arrangements for dividing the family heirlooms among her many grandchildren

Recent Examples on the Web

In fairness to the Treasury, the industry campaigned before the Budget for increases in the limits, arguing that they had been eroded by inflation since they were last changed in 2016. —Ian King, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025

Those successes have raised hopes for treatment—and questions about fairness. —Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2025

The Court's decision to enter judgments of acquittal on all charges reflects the fundamental principle that justice requires both fairness and proof. —Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 1 Dec. 2025

Today’s open-source tool kits can generate millions of legally compliant plans and optimize for different fairness goals (compactness, competitiveness, minority opportunity, county splits, partisan bias). —Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fairness

• fairness doctrine

Rhymes for fairness

• bareness
• squareness
• awareness
• unfairness
• unawareness