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

• enough
• kindly [chiefly Southern]
• kind of
• like
• moderately
• more or less
• pretty
• quite
• rather
• relatively
• something
• somewhat
• sort of

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

Morningstar considers Yum’s shares fairly valued at $145, with no change to its capital allocation rating. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 18 June 2025

Of greatest importance, why are two free-market champions fairly explicitly calling for government intervention of the bank bailout variety in a book not just about economic freedom, but that routinely notes the government’s role in economic troubles? —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

If the Leafs had simply lost a fairly close seven-game series to the defending Stanley Cup champions without the nightmarish humiliations of Games 5 and 7, would Brendan Shanahan still have a job? —James Mirtle, New York Times, 18 June 2025

The practice has become fairly common in recent years. —Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 18 June 2025

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