having qualities which inspire hope
as long as the team keeps playing as hard as they can, they have a fair chance of winning—no matter what the scoreboard says
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong
most thought his dismissal was fair since he had been given many chances to clean up his act
How does the adjective fair contrast with its synonyms?
Some common synonyms of fair are dispassionate, equitable, impartial, just, objective, and unbiased. While all these words mean "free from favor toward either or any side," fair implies a proper balance of conflicting interests.
a fair decision
When is dispassionate a more appropriate choice than fair?
The words dispassionate and fair can be used in similar contexts, but dispassionate suggests freedom from the influence of strong feeling and often implies cool or even cold judgment.
a dispassionate summation of the facts
How are the words equitable and just related as synonyms of fair?
Equitable implies a less rigorous standard than just and usually suggests equal treatment of all concerned.
the equitable distribution of the property
Where would impartial be a reasonable alternative to fair?
The meanings of impartial and fair largely overlap; however, impartial stresses an absence of favor or prejudice.
an impartial third party
When would just be a good substitute for fair?
The words just and fair are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, just implies an exact following of a standard of what is right and proper.
a just settlement of territorial claims
In what contexts can objective take the place of fair?
While in some cases nearly identical to fair, objective stresses a tendency to view events or persons as apart from oneself and one's own interest or feelings.
I can't be objective about my own child
When can unbiased be used instead of fair?
In some situations, the words unbiased and fair are roughly equivalent. However, unbiased implies even more strongly an absence of all prejudice.
your unbiased opinion
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fair
Adjective
Alcantar said the California State Fair team envisioned its Oktoberfest celebration as a recurring annual event to supplement the state fair.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
11 Oct. 2026 The defense of Brazilian democracy must therefore rest not only with the Brazilian people, through free, fair and transparent elections, but also with the vigilance and engagement of the international community.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2026
Noun
At the Chicago fair, corporations sponsored full-scale model homes and filled them with products already available or soon to be.—Los Angeles Times,
7 Oct. 2026 Job fairs, career expos and in-person hiring events are worth another look these days.—
John M. O'Connor,
Forbes.com,
6 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Seniors, stacks and stories Seniors, 55 and older, can enjoy a free pancake breakfast and a community resource fair sponsored by the Milwaukee North Sunrise Rotary Club.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
14 Aug. 2026 Special events Each year, the state fair organizes a slate of special events, and this year is no exception.—Sacbee.com,
16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fair
As part of the agreement, the district must revise its discipline policies, train staff on equitable discipline and review discipline outcomes annually by demographic group, reporting the results to the attorney general and school board.
—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2026
Many other wealthy countries spend less money to get better outcomes – fewer premature deaths, longer health and life expectancies, more equitable access to care and so on.
—
Joshua R. Ehrlich,
The Conversation,
1 Oct. 2026
The archaic legal restrictions restricting same-sex couples or unmarried women, for example, are acknowledged and adhered to, rather than being openly challenged or criticized.
—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2026
Rigorous legal protection combined with the successful eradication of invasive feral goats in 2012 ultimately paved the way for this historic recovery.
Princess Diana memorably wore a pale blue halterneck dress by Walker at a dinner hosted by Vanity Fair magazine at the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park in London in June 1995.
After a promising start to the potential game-tying drive in the extra frame, Tagovailoa would toss an interception to Baltimore All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton to seal Atlanta's fate.
While the price can be inhibiting for some — with chef pants priced as high as $190 and jackets as much as $210, the price of a decent knife or other cooking tools — Argoti feels the heavy usage justifies the cost for him.
—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Oct. 2026
The other was a decent man constantly being tormented by God in order to test his faith.
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