Fairly
/ˈfeə.li/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo a certain extent, but not extremely.
/ˈfeə.li/
To a moderate extent; somewhat.
The weather was fairly pleasant.
💡 Simply: It's like saying 'a little bit' or 'sort of'. If someone says, 'The pizza was fairly tasty,' they mean it was pretty good, but not amazing. It’s not super delicious, but it’s okay.
👶 For kids: A little bit. Like, "I am fairly happy."
More Examples
She speaks English fairly well.
The price is fairly reasonable.
How It's Used
"The movie was fairly good."
"The project is progressing fairly smoothly."
In a just and impartial way.
/ˈfeə.li/
In a fair or just manner; impartially.
The company treated its employees fairly.
💡 Simply: It means doing things in a way that's honest and just. If you divide your candy fairly, everyone gets the same amount.
👶 For kids: Doing things in a good and right way, so it's equal for everyone.
More Examples
They divided the profits fairly among the partners.
The competition was judged fairly.
How It's Used
"The judge treated both sides fairly."
"The referee ensured the game was played fairly."
Idioms & expressions
fair and square
In a just and honest way.
"He won the game fair and square, without cheating."
From the Old English word 'fægerlice', meaning 'in a fair manner' or 'beautifully'. It evolved from 'fæger' (fair) and '-lice' (suffix denoting manner).
Used in a similar sense as today, though perhaps with more emphasis on beauty or attractiveness in earlier times.
Memory tip
Think of a scale: 'Fairly' sits in the middle, not too high, not too low.