fair game

American  

noun

1. a legitimate or likely object of attack, mockery, etc..

   With his fat, round face, the politician was fair game for the cartoonists.

---

fair game British  

noun

1. a legitimate object for ridicule or attack

2. archaic hunting quarry that may legitimately be pursued according to the rules of a particular sport

---

fair game Idioms  

1. A legitimate target for attack or ridicule. For example, On his talk show, authors are considered fair game. This expression alludes to hunting. [Early 1800s]

---

Etymology

Origin of fair game

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

How Jews are treated in a society says much about that society’s health and commitment to the rule of law, because once Jews are fair game, anyone is.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

This could be fair game territory for legally recording because law has not kept pace with technology.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

Sir Elton said that while he had devoted his life to music, "this does not mean deeply personal things which I have a right to deal with in private are fair game".

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Whether they like it or not, everything is fair game, from their dream half-time performer to the worst thing about their wife's cooking.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

The locomotive and the last car of each train were marked with a striped banner of orange and black, indicating that the train was not fair game for air-planes—that it was carrying prisoners of war.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut