fairly

American  

[fair-lee] / ˈfɛər li /

adverb

1. in a fair manner; justly or honestly; impartially.

2. moderately; tolerably.

   a fairly heavy rain.

3. properly; legitimately.

   a claim fairly made.

4. Chiefly Southern U.S.

   1. actually; completely.

      The wheels fairly spun.

   2. almost; practically.

      He slipped off the roof and fairly broke his neck.

5. Archaic. clearly; distinctly.

   fairly seen.

6. Obsolete. gently; softly.

7. Obsolete. with respect and courtesy.

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fairly British  

/ ˈfɛəlɪ /

adverb

1. (not used with a negative) moderately

2. as deserved; justly

3. (not used with a negative) positively; absolutely

   the hall fairly rang with applause

4. archaic clearly

5. obsolete courteously

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Etymology

Origin of fairly

A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; fair ¹, -ly

Example Sentences

The U.S. economy entered 2026 in a fairly strong position, she notes, with the Federal Reserve poised to cut interest rates, tax cuts expected to buoy consumer spending, and deregulation benefiting businesses.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Even if they prove fairly insulated from a wipeout, they do stand to lose significant business from the whole mess.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The material can be fairly quickly enriched to the 90% threshold needed for weapons-grade uranium.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Despite fairly good reviews, it apparently didn’t find a big enough audience.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

By the turn of the century the fringes of the continent were fairly well defined on the charts, but the interior was still an unknown wasteland of ice.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• adequately
• kind of
• moderately
• quite
• rather
• reasonably