- acceptable and appropriate in a particular situation
- a fair deal/wage/price
- The punishment was very fair.
- In the end, a draw was a fair result.
- I give you fair warning, I’m not always this generous.
- fair to somebody We wanted to resolve this matter in a way that would be fair to her.
- fair to somebody to do something Was it really fair to him to ask him to do all the work?
- fair on somebody Moving to a new city wouldn't have been fair on the kids.
- fair on somebody to do something It's not fair on the students to keep changing the timetable.
- it is fair to do something It's only fair to add that they were not told about the problem until the last minute.
- I think it is fair to say that they are pleased with this latest offer.
- it is fair that… It's fair that they should give us something in return.
- To be fair, she behaved better than we expected.
- (especially British English) ‘You should really have asked me first.’ ‘Right, okay, fair comment.’
Extra Examples- I don't care what he thinks. It seems perfectly fair to me.
- It's quite expensive, but I still think it's a fair price.
- It's only fair to say that this is the first time she's heard about the problem.
- It's a fair question, and it deserves to be taken seriously.
- That doesn't seem quite fair.
- To be fair, we hadn't really spent enough time on the job.
- I don't think the sentence was very fair.
- All we're asking for is a fair wage.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- make something
- …
- scrupulously
- very
- absolutely
- …
- to be fair
- to
- treating everyone equally and according to the rules or law
- She has always been scrupulously fair.
- They are fair and decent employers.
- demands for a fairer distribution of wealth
- his vision of a fairer, kinder society
- The new tax is fairer than the old system.
- fair to somebody We have to be fair to both players.
- to receive a fair trial
- For the first time, free and fair elections will be held.
- It's not fair! He always gets more than me.
Extra Examples- They are demanding a fairer distribution of the earth's resources.
- I'll give you ten pounds each to make it fair.
- It's hardly fair that I should be working while everyone else is enjoying themselves!
- Everyone has the right to a fair trial.
- It's important to be scrupulously fair when grading the final exam paper.
- That seems fair to all sides.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- make something
- …
- scrupulously
- very
- absolutely
- …
- to be fair
- to
- pale in colour
- a fair complexion
- Kate had dark hair and fair skin.
- She has long fair hair.
- All her children are fair (= they all have fair hair).
- [only before noun] quite large in number, size or amount
- A fair number of people came along.
- There's been a fair amount of research on this topic.
- a fair-sized town
- We've still got a fair bit (= quite a lot) to do.
- My birthday’s still a fair way off (= it’s still a long time until my birthday).
- (especially British English) quite good
- There's a fair chance that we might win this time.
- It's a fair bet that they won't turn up.
- I have a fair idea of what happened.
- His knowledge of French is only fair.
- Scoring twenty points was a fair achievement.
- bright and not raining synonym fine
- It was a fair and breezy day.
- The day was set fair with the spring sun shining down.
- (literary) (of winds) not too strong and blowing in the right direction
- They set sail with the first fair wind.
- (literary or old use) beautiful
- a fair maiden
acceptable/appropriate
treating people equally
hair/skin
quite large
quite good
weather
beautiful
Word Originadjective Old English fæger ‘pleasing, attractive’, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fagar.
Idioms
See fair in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee fair in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishall’s fair in love and war
- (saying) in some situations any type of behaviour is acceptable to get what you want
be fair!
- (informal) used to tell somebody to be reasonable in their judgement of somebody/something
- Be fair! She didn't know you were coming.
by fair means or foul
- using dishonest methods if honest ones do not work
- She’s determined to win, by fair means or foul.
a fair crack of the whip
- (British English, informal) a reasonable opportunity to show that you can do something
- I felt we weren't given a fair crack of the whip.
fair enough
- (informal, especially British English) used to say that an idea or suggestion seems reasonable
- ‘We'll meet at 8.’ ‘Fair enough.’
- If you don't want to come, fair enough, but let Bill know.
a fair few (British English)
(British English also a good few)
(also quite a few British English, North American English)
- a fairly large number
- I've been there a fair few times.
fair go
- (Australian English, New Zealand English, informal) used to ask somebody to be reasonable
- I just wanted to say, ‘Hey mate, fair go!’
(give somebody) a fair hearing
- (to allow somebody) the opportunity to give their opinion of something before deciding if they have done something wrong, often in court
- I'll see that you get a fair hearing.
fair’s fair
(British English also fair dos/do’s)
(informal)- used to ask for fair treatment or to claim that a situation is fair
- Fair's fair—we were here first.
- Fair's fair—you can't expect them to cancel everything just because you can't make it.
- Come on, fair's fair—you’ve had your chance, now let me try.
(give somebody/get) a fair shake (North American English)
(Australian English, New Zealand English (give somebody/get) a fair go)
- (informal) (to give somebody/get) fair treatment that gives you the same chance as somebody else
- Are minority students getting a fair shake at college?
- We need a government that cares about equity and a fair go for all.
(more than) your fair share of something
- (more than) an amount of something that is considered to be reasonable or acceptable
- He has more than his fair share of problems.
- I've had my fair share of success in the past.
fair to middling
- not particularly good or bad
- ‘How are you feeling today?’ ‘Oh, fair to middling.’
it’s a fair cop
- (British English, informal, humorous) used by somebody who is caught doing something wrong, to say that they admit that they are wrong
Check pronunciation:
fair