fair

When used as a noun, fair refers to a traveling show with games, rides, and farmers showing off their prized pigs, similar to a carnival. As an adjective, it gets a bit trickier.

The adjective fair, has several different meanings. If someone says, "That's not fair!” they mean whatever happened wasn't just or done in an unbiased way. If you have fair skin, you have a pale complexion. If the weather is fair, it's a gorgeous day out. If the rides at the fair were fair, then they were just so-so. And watch out if the umpire shouts "fair ball!" during the baseball game — that means it was hit within the foul lines.

Definitions of fair
  1. adjective
    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
    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
    just
    used especially of what is legally or ethically right or proper or fitting
    impartial
    showing lack of favoritism
    reasonable, sensible
    showing reason or sound judgment
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    Antonyms:
    unfair, unjust
    not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception
    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
    unjust
    violating principles of justice
    partial
    showing favoritism
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  2. adjective
    gained or earned without cheating or stealing
    “an fair penny”
    synonyms: honest
    equitable, just
    fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience
  3. adjective
    (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
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    Antonyms:
    foul
    (of a baseball) not hit between the foul lines
    out-of-bounds
    outside the foul lines
    show more antonyms...
  4. adjective
    not excessive or extreme
    synonyms: fairish, reasonable
    moderate
    being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme
  5. adjective
    (of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections
    “fair copy”
    synonyms: clean
    legible
    (of handwriting, print, etc.) capable of being read or deciphered
  6. adverb
    in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating
    synonyms: clean, fairly
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    Antonyms:
    below the belt, unfairly
    in an unfair manner
  7. adverb
    without favoring one party, in a fair evenhanded manner
    synonyms: evenhandedly, fairly
  8. adjective
    very pleasing to the eye
    “young fair maidens”
    synonyms: bonnie, bonny, comely, sightly
    beautiful
    delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
  9. adjective
    attractively feminine
    “the fair sex”
    Synonyms:
    feminine
    associated with women and not with men
  10. adjective
    free of clouds or rain
    “today will be fair and warm”
    Synonyms:
    clear
    free from clouds or mist or haze
  11. adjective
    (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
  12. adjective
    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
  13. noun
    gathering of producers to promote business
    “world fair”
    “trade fair”
    “book fair”
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    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
  14. noun
    a competitive exhibition of farm products
    “she won a blue ribbon for her baking at the county fair”
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    type of:
    exhibition, expo, exposition
    a collection of things (goods or works of art etc.) for public display
  15. noun
    a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc.
    synonyms: carnival, funfair
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    type of:
    show
    the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining
  16. noun
    a sale of miscellany; often for charity
    synonyms: bazaar
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    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
    type of:
    cut-rate sale, sale, sales event
    an occasion (usually brief) for buying at specially reduced prices
  17. verb
    join so that the external surfaces blend smoothly
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    type of:
    bring together, join
    cause to become joined or linked
Word Family