fairly
Americanadverb
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in a fair manner; justly or honestly; impartially.
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moderately; tolerably.
a fairly heavy rain.
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properly; legitimately.
a claim fairly made.
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Chiefly Southern U.S.
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The wheels fairly spun.
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He slipped off the roof and fairly broke his neck.
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Archaic. clearly; distinctly.
fairly seen.
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Obsolete. gently; softly.
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Obsolete. with respect and courtesy.
adverb
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(not used with a negative) moderately
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as deserved; justly
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(not used with a negative) positively; absolutely
the hall fairly rang with applause
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archaic clearly
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obsolete courteously
Etymology
Origin of fairly
A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at fair 1, -ly
Explanation
When you do something fairly, you treat everyone with equal consideration. Sharing a pizza fairly between six people is easy: just give each person one slice. A teacher who doesn't treat all students fairly isn't a very good teacher — and a police officer who doesn't act fairly toward all citizens is also doing a poor job. When you behave fairly, you're unbiased and impartial, and you follow the rules. You can also use this adverb to mean "to a large degree" or "reasonably." For example, you could say, "I'm fairly certain that it's going to snow again tomorrow."
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.
And, while participation has remained fairly strong, there hasn’t been much outperformance outside the sector, until recently.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026
The new “Little House,” created by Rebecca Sonnenshine and streaming on Netflix, is fairly faithful to its spirit, and less so to its letter.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026
"A future in which pathogen samples and information move quickly, without needless delay; and in which the benefits that come from them reach the people who need them most, fairly and in time."
From Barron's • Jul. 6, 2026
The dissenters fairly contend that our republic may have broken from that rule but could not agree on what standard replaced it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026
Just as Bobby had fairly leaped into—and established residence at—the Manhattan Chess Club the previous summer, he soon became a regular presence at Collins’s salon.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
