fair play

American  

noun

1. just and honorable treatment, action, or conduct.

   The political campaign was notably lacking in fair play.

---

fair play British  

noun

1. an established standard of decency, honesty, etc

2. abidance by this standard

---

fair play Idioms  

1. Conformity to established rules; upright conduct and equitable conditions. For example, The coach insists on fair play. Shakespeare used this idiom in King John (5:2): “According to the fair play of the world, let me have audience.” [Late 1500s] Also see turnabout is fair play.

---

Etymology

Origin of fair play

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

Journalists from the top 100 Fifa-ranked nations decide who wins and are encouraged to factor in "individual performances" along with "class and fair play".

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

It is against one uniform financial fair play system.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

Mr. Curran discusses two works in particular that helped tilt the balance in favor of fair play, both published in 1913.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

"I was in the stadium last night and we're largely a sports organisation and seeing the US team cheered as they were by the audience, fair play, that was fantastic," he added.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

But the things that held them together—trust in each other, mutual respect, humility, fair play, watching out for one another—those were also part of what America meant to all of them.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• civil rights
• coordination
• equal opportunity
• fairness
• identity
• impartiality
• parity
• tolerance