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| fair [ fer ] |
adjective (comparative fair·er, superlative fair·est) |
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| Definition: |
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1. reasonable or unbiased: not exhibiting any bias, and therefore reasonable or impartial
  a fair decision
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2. done properly: done according to the rules
fair and free elections
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3. not stormy or cloudy: sunny or clear, and without much wind
fair weather
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4. nautical good for sailing: describes conditions that are favorable for sailing or travel by boat
a fair wind
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5. pleasing to look at: beautiful or pleasing to the eye
(
literary
)
a fair maiden
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6. not blocked: clear and unobstructed
a fair view of the enemy's forces
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7. light-colored: with light-colored hair or skin
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8. sizeable: reasonably large in size or quantity
They had a fair number of responses to the advertisement.
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9. acceptable: no more than acceptable or average
Your performance this year has been only fair.
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10. better than acceptable: moderately good or reasonable
a fair understanding
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11. unsullied: not marred by any blemish or stain
to preserve your fair name
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12. false despite appearances: seemingly good or true, but actually false or insincere
fair words
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13. baseball in fair territory: constituting a fair ball according to the rules of baseball
The ball's not going to stay fair.
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adverb |
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| Definition: |
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1. properly: in accordance with the rules or what is expected
She's always played fair with me.
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2. baseball in fair territory: in or into fair territory on a baseball field
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3. directly: in a direct or straight way, and squarely
hit fair in the center of the board
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verb (past and past participle faired, present participle fair·ing, 3rd person present singular fairs) |
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| Definition: |
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1. intransitive verb Scotland improve: to become bright after cloud or rain
(
refers to the weather or sky
)
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2. transitive verb make smooth and even: to smooth or streamline the surface of something such as an aircraft wing or tabletop
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| [ Old English faeger "beautiful" < Germanic, "suitable"] |
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fair and square justly, fairly, or according to the rules
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fair enough acceptable and understandable, but not ideal
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fair's fair used to urge or appeal for just or even treatment (informal)
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fair to middling reasonably good or reasonably well (informal)hyphenated when used before a noun
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for fair U.S. utterly or completely (informal)
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no fair used to indicate that something is unfair or against the rules (informal)
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| Spelling Note |
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fair or fare? Do not confuse the spelling of fair and fare, which sound similar. Fair is chiefly used as an adjective and has many meanings, including "reasonable and just," "light in color," and "moderately good," as in fair treatment, fair hair, fair weather. Fair is also used as a noun, denoting an outdoor entertainment or a commercial exhibition. The noun fare, on the other hand, means "cost of travel," "food," or "entertainment," as in fare-paying passengers, good wholesome fare, dull fare for viewers. Fare is also used as a verb, meaning "get on in a particular way": How did she fare in the exam?
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