I. ˈfer adjective
Etymology: Middle English fager, fair, from Old English fæger; akin to Old High German fagar beautiful
Date: before 12th century
1. : pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming, or flawless quality
2. : superficially pleasing : specious
she trusted his fair promises
3.
a. : clean , pure
fair sparkling water
b. : clear , legible
4. : not stormy or foul : fine
fair weather
5. : ample
a fair estate
6.
a. : marked by impartiality and honesty : free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism
a very fair person to do business with
b.
(1) : conforming with the established rules : allowed
(2) : consonant with merit or importance : due
a fair share
c. : open to legitimate pursuit, attack, or ridicule
fair game
7.
a. : promising , likely
in a fair way to win
b. : favorable to a ship's course
a fair wind
8. archaic : free of obstacles
9. : not dark
fair skin
10.
a. : sufficient but not ample : adequate
a fair understanding of the work
b. : moderately numerous, large, or significant
takes a fair amount of time
11. : being such to the utmost : utter
a fair treat to watch him — New Republic
• fair·ness noun
Synonyms:
fair , just , equitable , impartial , unbiased , dispassionate , objective mean free from favor toward either or any side. fair implies an elimination of one's own feelings, prejudices, and desires so as to achieve a proper balance of conflicting interests
a fair decision
just implies an exact following of a standard of what is right and proper
a just settlement of territorial claims
equitable implies a less rigorous standard than just and usually suggests equal treatment of all concerned
the equitable distribution of the property
impartial stresses an absence of favor or prejudice
an impartial third party
unbiased implies even more strongly an absence of all prejudice
your unbiased opinion
dispassionate suggests freedom from the influence of strong feeling and often implies cool or even cold judgment
a dispassionate summation of the facts
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
Synonym: see in addition beautiful .
II. noun
Date: before 12th century
1. obsolete : beauty , fairness
2. : something that is fair or fortunate
3. archaic : woman ; especially : sweetheart
•
- for fair
- no fair
III. adverb
Date: before 12th century
1. : in a fair manner
play fair
2. chiefly British : fairly 3
fair makes you want to cry
IV. verb
Date: 1819
intransitive verb
of the weather : clear
transitive verb
: to join so that the external surfaces blend smoothly
V. noun
Etymology: Middle English feire, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin feria weekday, fair, from Late Latin, festal day, from Latin feriae (plural) holidays — more at feast
Date: 13th century
1. : a gathering of buyers and sellers at a particular place and time for trade
2.
a. : a competitive exhibition usually with accompanying entertainment and amusements
an agricultural fair
b. : an exhibition designed to acquaint prospective buyers or the general public with a product
a book fair
c. : an exposition that promotes the availability of services or opportunities
health fair s
job fair s
3. : a sale of assorted articles usually for a charitable purpose