Fairness
'fɛərnəs
Definitions
The quality of being just, equitable, and impartial.
'fɛərnəs
The quality of treating people equally or in a way that is right or reasonable.
The teacher ensured fairness by grading all students' papers without knowing their names.
💡 Simply: Fairness means being nice and giving everyone the same chances. Imagine playing a game where everyone gets to use the same equipment and has the same rules. That's fairness!
👶 For kids: Being fair means everyone gets treated the same way and gets a chance.
More Examples
The company's policy emphasized fairness in hiring and promotion decisions.
A sense of fairness is crucial for a healthy relationship.
How It's Used
"The judge ensured fairness in the courtroom."
"Political debates should always strive for fairness in presenting different viewpoints."
"Companies should prioritize fairness in employee compensation."
Idioms & expressions
fair and square
In a just and honest way.
"He won the game fair and square, without cheating."
a level playing field
A situation where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
"The new regulations aim to create a level playing field for all businesses."
From Middle English 'fairnes', derived from 'fair' + '-ness'. 'Fair' originally meant 'pleasing', 'attractive', and evolved to include 'just' and 'equitable'. The suffix '-ness' denotes a state or quality.
Historically, 'fairness' has been associated with concepts of beauty and attractiveness before shifting to encompass moral and legal contexts.
Memory tip
Think of a fair game: everyone gets the same chance and is treated equally.
Word Origin
"pleasing, beautiful, just"