fair use
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of fair use
First recorded in 1840–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It’s pretty clear that the fair use answer isn’t always or never, it’s sometimes.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
For their part, AI firms often argue their work is covered by the American copyright loophole of "fair use", which does not require rightsholders' consent.
From Barron's • Oct. 30, 2025
This “central library” did not apply to fair use, but it did not infringe upon copyright as long as the books were purchased properly.
From Slate • Jun. 30, 2025
He explicitly disagreed with Alsup about whether using copyrighted works without permission to train bots is fair use.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2025
In some cases it effectively removes the privilege of fair use.
From The Public Domain Enclosing the Commons of the Mind by Boyle, James
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
