fairness

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Variant of fair

fair definition

fair (fer)

adjective

  1. attractive; beautiful; lovely
  2. unblemished; clean a fair name

  3. Etymology: < notion that light coloring was desirable

    light in color; blond fair hair
  4. clear and sunny; free from storm or the threat of storm
  5. easy to read; clear a fair hand
  6. just and honest; impartial; unprejudiced; specif., free from discrimination based on race, religion, sex, etc. fair employment practices, fair housing
  7. according to the rules a fair blow
  8. likely; promising; advantageous he is in a fair way to make money
  9. pleasant and courteous
  10. favorable; helpful a fair wind
  11. of moderately good size a fair fortune
  12. neither very bad nor very good; average in fair condition
  13. apparently favorable but really false; specious fair words
  14. Archaic without obstacles; clear and open a fair road
  15. Baseball of or having to do with the part of the field on or between the foul lines, including home plate

Etymology: ME < OE fæger, akin to fain, Goth fagrs, apt, fit < IE base *pek-, to be content, make (something) pretty > Lith púošiu, to ornament

noun

  1. Obsolete beauty
  2. Archaic a woman
  3. Archaic something fair, or good

adverb

  1. in a fair manner
  2. straight; squarely struck fair in the face
  3. Baseball in or into the part of the field that is on or between the foul lines, including home plate

intransitive verb

Dialectal to become clear: said of the weather

transitive verb

to give a smooth or streamlined surface to

Related Forms:

fair Idioms

fair and square

Informal with justice and honesty

fair to middling

Informal moderately good; passable

no fair

not according to the rules: often used as an interjection

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

fairness Synonyms

fairness

n.

justice, impartiality, justness, decency, honesty, probity, rectitude, uprightness, truth, integrity, charity, charitableness, veracity, tolerance, right, candor, honor, balance, moderation, civility, consideration, good faith, propriety, courtesy, reasonableness, rationality, humanity, rightness, equity, equitableness, righteousness, goodness, seemliness, full measure, measure for measure, suitability, give and take, evenhandedness, disinterestedness, neutrality, fair-mindedness, open-mindedness, just dealing, fair treatment, evenhanded justice, due, scrupulousness, exactitude, merit, detachment, disinterest, dispassion, correctness, punctilio, virtue, benignity, benevolence, duty, seeing justice done, legitimacy, legality, rightfulness, lawfulness, straightforwardness, niceness, plain dealing, right doing, sportsmanship, nondiscrimination, lack of bias, giving the devil his due*, square deal*, fair play*, fair shake*, square dealing*, straight shooting*, doing right by, a fair field and no favor*, the handsome thing*.

Antonyms injustice*, unfairness, partiality.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

fairness quotes

Nocht is your fairnes bot ane faiding flour, Nocht is your famous laud and hie honour Bot wind inflat in uther mennis eiris.

-Henryson, Robert

fairness quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"fairness." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/fairness>

APA Style

fairness. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/fairness

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