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Main Entry:

¹fair 

Pronunciation:

\ˈfer\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Middle English fager, fair, from Old English fæger; akin to Old High German fagar beautiful

Date:

before 12th century

1: pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming, or flawless quality2: superficially pleasing : specious <she trusted his fair promises>3 a: clean, pure <fair sparkling water> b: clear, legible4: not stormy or foul : fine <fair weather>5: ample <a fair estate>6 a: marked by impartiality and honesty : free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism <a very fair person to do business with> b (1): conforming with the established rules : allowed (2): consonant with merit or importance : due <a fair share> c: open to legitimate pursuit, attack, or ridicule <fair game>7 a: promising, likely <in a fair way to win> b: favorable to a ship's course <a fair wind>8archaic : free of obstacles9: not dark <fair skin>10 a: sufficient but not ample : adequate <a fair understanding of the work> b: moderately numerous, large, or significant <takes a fair amount of time>11: being such to the utmost : utter <a fair treat to watch him — New Republic>

— fair·ness noun

synonyms fair, just, equitable, impartial, unbiased, dispassionate, objective mean free from favor toward either or any side. fair implies an elimination of one's own feelings, prejudices, and desires so as to achieve a proper balance of conflicting interests <a fair decision>. just implies an exact following of a standard of what is right and proper <a just settlement of territorial claims>. equitable implies a less rigorous standard than just and usually suggests equal treatment of all concerned <the equitable distribution of the property>. impartial stresses an absence of favor or prejudice <an impartial third party>. unbiased implies even more strongly an absence of all prejudice <your unbiased opinion>. dispassionate suggests freedom from the influence of strong feeling and often implies cool or even cold judgment <a dispassionate summation of the facts>. objective stresses a tendency to view events or persons as apart from oneself and one's own interest or feelings <I can't be objective about my own child>.

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from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.