free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice: a fair decision; a fair judge.
legitimately sought, pursued, done, given, etc.; proper under the rules: a fair fight.
moderately large; ample: a fair income.
neither excellent nor poor; moderately or tolerably good: fair health.
marked by favoring conditions; likely; promising: in a fair way to succeed.
Meteorology.
(of the sky) bright; sunny; cloudless to half-cloudy.
(of the weather) fine; with no prospect of rain, snow, or hail; not stormy.
Nautical. (of a wind or tide) tending to aid the progress of a vessel.
unobstructed; not blocked up: The way was fair for our advance.
without irregularity or unevenness:a fair surface.
free from blemish, imperfection, or anything that impairs the appearance, quality, or character: Her fair reputation was ruined by gossip.
easy to read; clear: fair handwriting.
of a light hue; not dark: fair skin.
pleasing in appearance; attractive: a fair young maiden.
seemingly good or sincere but not really so: The suitor beguiled his mistress with fair speeches.
courteous; civil: fair words.
Medicine/Medical. (of a patient's condition) having stable and normal vital signs and other favorable indicators, as appetite and mobility, but being in some discomfort and having the possibility of a worsening state.
Dialect. scarcely; barely: It was just fair daylight when we started working.
adverb,fair·er,fair·est.
in a fair manner: He doesn't play fair.
straight; directly, as in aiming or hitting: He threw the ball fair to the goal.
favorably; auspiciously.
British, Australian. entirely; completely; quite: It happened so quickly that it fair took my breath away.
noun
Archaic. something that is fair.
Archaic.
a woman.
a beloved woman.
verb (used with object)
to make the connection or junction of (surfaces) smooth and even.
Shipbuilding.
to draw and adjust (the lines of a hull being designed) to produce regular surfaces of the correct form.
to adjust the form of (a frame or templet) in accordance with a design, or cause it to conform to the general form of a hull.
to restore (a bent plate or structural member) to its original form.
to align (the frames of a vessel under construction) in proper position.
to bring (rivet holes in connecting structural members) into perfect alignment.
Obsolete. to make fair.
Verb Phrases
fair off / upSouth Midland and Southern U.S.(of the weather) to clear: It's supposed to fair off toward evening.
Idioms for fair
bid fair, to seem likely: This entry bids fair to win first prize.
fair and square,
honestly; justly; straightforwardly: He won the race fair and square.
honest; just; straightforward: He was admired for being fair and square in all his dealings.
fair to middling, Informal. only tolerably good; so-so.
Origin of fair
1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English fæger “beautiful, attractive”; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German fagar, “beautiful, peaceful,” fagr, “beautiful, bright,” Gothic fagrs “fitting”
1. Fair,impartial,disinterested,unprejudiced refer to lack of bias in opinions, judgments, etc. Fair implies the treating of all sides alike, justly and equitably: a fair compromise.Impartial, like fair, implies showing no more favor to one side than another, but suggests particularly a judicial consideration of a case: an impartial judge.Disinterested implies a fairness arising particularly from lack of desire to obtain a selfish advantage: The motives of her guardian were entirely disinterested.Unprejudiced means not influenced or swayed by bias, or by prejudice caused by irrelevant considerations: an unprejudiced decision.
an exhibition, usually competitive, of farm products, livestock, etc., often combined with entertainment and held annually by a county or state.
a periodic gathering of buyers and sellers in an appointed place.
an exposition in which different exhibitors participate, sometimes with the purpose of buying or selling: More than twenty-five employers with multiple open positions will be meeting with applicants at this weekend’s job fair.
an exhibition and sale of articles to raise money, often for some charitable purpose.
Origin of fair
2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English feire, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Late Latin fēria “religious festival, holiday” (Medieval Latin: “market”), in Latin only plural; akin to feast
As a principal, I have the responsibility to ensure compliance and create a fair and balanced environment for all students.
School Sports Became ‘Clubs’ Amid the Pandemic – Now Two Coaches Are Out|Ashly McGlone|September 17, 2020|Voice of San Diego
If the shifts among women and older voters seen in the Post-ABC poll reflect an actual shift in the electorate — a fair assumption based on a wide range of other state and national polls — that seems very difficult to do.
The key shifts in Minnesota and Wisconsin that have improved Biden’s chances of victory|Philip Bump|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
He says she urged street fairs and parades, but that’s not true.
Trump’s ABC News town hall: Four Pinocchios, over and over again|Glenn Kessler|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Grant says BrightHire, co-founded by Ben Sesser and Teddy Chestnut, is “the most compelling platform I’ve seen to help companies run fair and inclusive hiring processes.”
The startup Adam Grant is betting on to fix bias in hiring is out of stealth mode|Sarah Todd|September 15, 2020|Quartz
We believe we are fair and reasonable partners and have no incentive to enforce the restrictions more broadly than necessary.
The losses continue to pile up for hedge fund king Ray Dalio|Bernhard Warner|September 15, 2020|Fortune
Even internally in the House, women are not getting their fair shake.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps it always seems that way at the time, but surely we face our fair share right now.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion|Gene Robinson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
To be fair, no artist had ever been asked to, or could have pulled it off if they had.
Bow Down, Bitches: How Beyoncé Turned an Elevator Brawl Into a Perfect Year|Kevin Fallon|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A fair number explicitly ask for an antibiotic, to cover the possibility that it is “bronchitis” or a “sinus infection.”
Without Education, Antibiotic Resistance Will Be Our Greatest Health Crisis|Russell Saunders|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The early Church has more than its fair share of powerful women.
First Anglican Woman Bishop A Return to Christian Roots|Candida Moss|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"It wouldn't be fair to take it for that," said Ray, flushing.
Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905 to 1906|Lucy Maud Montgomery
It placed a little capital at his disposal, and capital is the one thing needed to make a fair start in anything in this country.
Rogues and Vagabonds|George R. Sims
Turkeys were seen in fair numbers, but they were the shyest birds I have ever come across—so much so that we never got a shot.
Spinifex and Sand|David W Carnegie
It is not a fair way of going to work—the fish has no option.
How To Respond When Kids Say “No Fair”We all want to retort, “Tough luck!” But there are much more constructive and empathetic ways to respond to kids and teach them something at the same time.