fair - Definition | Dictionary definition of fair

Definition of fair

Adjectives

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

"a fair referee"

"fair deal"

"on a fair footing"

"a fair fight"

"by fair means or foul"

Synonyms:: just; impartial
showing lack of favoritism; reasonable, sensible
showing reason or sound judgment; antimonopoly, antitrust
of laws and regulations; designed to protect trade and commerce from unfair business practices; clean, sporting, sportsmanlike, sporty
exhibiting or calling for sportsmanship or fair play; fair-minded
of a person; just and impartial; not prejudiced; fair-and-square
just and honest

Antonyms:: unfair
not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception; unjust; partial
showing favoritism; below the belt
disregarding the rules (from the notion of an illegal low blow in boxing); cheating, dirty, foul, unsporting, unsportsmanlike
violating accepted standards or rules; raw
brutally unfair or harsh; show more antonyms...

not excessive or extreme

"a fairish income"

Synonyms:: fairish, reasonable; moderate
being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme

very pleasing to the eye

"young fair maidens"

Synonyms:: bonnie, bonny, comely, sightly; beautiful
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

(of a baseball) hit between the foul lines

"he hit a fair ball over the third base bag"

Synonyms:: in-bounds
between the first and third base lines

Antonyms:: foul
(of a baseball) not hit between the foul lines; out-of-bounds
outside the foul lines; show more antonyms...

lacking exceptional quality or ability

"only a fair performance of the sonata"

"in fair health"

Synonyms:: average, mediocre, middling; ordinary
not exceptional in any way especially in quality or ability or size or degree

attractively feminine

"the fair sex"

Synonyms:: feminine
associated with women and not with men

(of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections

"fair copy"

Synonyms:: clean; legible
(of handwriting, print, etc.) capable of being read or deciphered

gained or earned without cheating or stealing

"an fair penny"

Synonyms:: honest; equitable, just
fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience

free of clouds or rain

"today will be fair and warm"

Synonyms:: clear
free from clouds or mist or haze

(used of hair or skin) pale or light-colored

"a fair complexion"

Synonyms:: fairish; blond, blonde, light-haired
being or having light colored skin and hair and usually blue or grey eyes

Adverbs

in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating

"they played fairly"

Synonyms:: clean, fairly

Antonyms:: unfairly
in an unfair manner; below the belt; show more antonyms...

without favoring one party, in a fair evenhanded manner

"deal fairly with one another"

Synonyms:: evenhandedly, fairly

Nouns

a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc.

Synonyms:: carnival, funfair

Type of:: show
the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining

gathering of producers to promote business

"world fair"

"trade fair"

"book fair"

Types:: book fair, bookfair
fair organized by publishers or booksellers to promote the sale of books

Type of:: assemblage, gathering
a group of persons together in one place

a competitive exhibition of farm products

"she won a blue ribbon for her baking at the county fair"

Type of:: exhibition, expo, exposition
a collection of things (goods or works of art etc.) for public display

a sale of miscellany; often for charity

Synonyms:: bazaar

Types:: book fair, bookfair
bazaar at which books are sold or auctioned off in order to raise funds for a worthy cause; craft fair
a fair at which objects made by craftsmen are offered for sale