fair1
• adjective 1 just or appropriate in the circumstances. 2 treating people equally. 3 considerable in size or amount. 4 moderately good. 5 (of hair or complexion) light; blonde. 6 (of weather) fine and dry. 7 Austral./NZ informal complete. 8 archaic beautiful. • adverb 1 in a fair manner. 2 dialect to a high degree. — PHRASES all’s fair in love and war proverb in certain highly charged situations, any method of achieving your objective is justifiable. fair and square 1 with absolute accuracy. 2 honestly and straightforwardly. fair dinkum see DINKUM. fair dos Brit. informal used as a request for just treatment or an acceptance that it has been given. fair enough informal that is reasonable or acceptable. the fair sex (also the fairer sex) dated or humorous women. fair’s fair informal used as a request for just treatment or an assertion that an arrangement is just. it’s a fair cop informal an admission that the speaker has been caught doing wrong and deserves punishment. — DERIVATIVES fairish adjective fairness noun. — ORIGIN Old English.
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