1
: in a handsome manner
a table fairly set
2
3
: so to speak : nearly, practically
fairly bursting with pride
4
a
: in a proper or legal manner
fairly priced stocks
b
: without bias or distortion : impartially
a story told fairly and objectively
5
: to a full degree or extent : plainly, distinctly
had fairly caught sight of him
6
: rather sense 5, moderately
a fairly easy job
Examples of fairly in a Sentence
It's a fairly common disease.
I told the story as fairly as possible.
He reports fairly on the issues.
He beat me fairly and squarely.
Recent Examples on the Web
The mother, who has been named Petals since being found, is about the size of a beagle and appears to be fairly young, according to animal control.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2025
The Knicks, in legal filings, claimed Silver would be unable to fairly resolve it because of his closeness to the Raptors’ chairman, Larry Tanenbaum, who is also the chairman of the NBA’s board of governors.
—Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
They are caught up in a process that is fairly opaque, strangely inconsistent, bloated by paperwork and resistant to fast-tracking.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Ultimately, if Louisiana’s maps are struck down, one of the biggest losers will be the fairly basic proposition that the law should operate in a predictable way.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fairly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2025
The Knicks, in legal filings, claimed Silver would be unable to fairly resolve it because of his closeness to the Raptors’ chairman, Larry Tanenbaum, who is also the chairman of the NBA’s board of governors.
—Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
They are caught up in a process that is fairly opaque, strangely inconsistent, bloated by paperwork and resistant to fast-tracking.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Ultimately, if Louisiana’s maps are struck down, one of the biggest losers will be the fairly basic proposition that the law should operate in a predictable way.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fairly
Cite this Entry
“Fairly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairly. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fairly
adverb
fair·ly
ˈfa(ə)r-lē 
ˈfe(ə)r-
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share