fair play

American  

noun

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

   The political campaign was notably lacking in fair play.

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fair play British  

noun

1. an established standard of decency, honesty, etc

2. abidance by this standard

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of fair play

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fair play

In the end, this is a matter of fair play and adherence to accepted norms.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Excited to see how it goes and fair play to the SFA for being bold.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Jan Morris once said that the British Empire’s truest morality, real or imagined, was the morality of fair play.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

FIFA’s selective moral leadership — claiming the high ground on fair play, inclusion and human rights — cannot be credible without meaningful action on gender-based violence.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

He was beginning to feel confident in Mr. Dacus’s intrinsic sense of justice and fair play; his fine, relaxed humor prescribed the mood in the room.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

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