n.
Pronunciation: ' fer
Function: 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