fairly

adverb

fair·​ly ˈfer-lē 

1

: in a handsome manner

a table fairly set

2

obsolete

a

: in a gentle manner : quietly

b

: in a courteous manner

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

Synonyms

• enough
• kindly [chiefly Southern]
• kind of
• like
• moderately
• more or less
• pretty
• quite
• rather
• relatively
• something
• somewhat
• sort of

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

This fairly inconsistent exercise kept us on our toes, as different heights for the rams led to different levels of grip for the front and rear ends. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025

Only a few would discuss — though those that did depicted a fairly typical flip, or when a non-union production goes union mid-shoot, of a New York indie. —Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025

The Fed will meet on Wednesday and give investors a read on inflation, with Cramer noting that economic data released earlier this week was fairly promising. —Julie Coleman, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025

However, its Crater Peak vent, located about 3 miles below the summit, has erupted fairly frequently in recent history. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fairly

• barely
• rarely
• squarely
• unfairly

Kids Definition

fairly

adverb

fair·​ly ˈfa(ə)r-lē 

ˈfe(ə)r-

1

: in a favorable manner

fairly situated

2

: in a manner of speaking : nearly

fairly bursting with pride

3

: in a fair manner : justly

treat each person fairly

4

: for the most part : rather

a fairly easy job