fairness

noun

fair·​ness ˈfer-nəs 

: the quality or state of being fair

especially : fair or impartial treatment : lack of favoritism toward one side or another

This is the real Ponzi scheme that does injury to the American promise of fairness …

—Jesse Jackson

The rules reflect the principles of procedural due process and fundamental fairness prescribed by the Constitution …

—James O. Freedman

… partisan gerrymandering has got so out of hand that it was up to the courts to restore a measure of fairness.

—Jeffrey Toobin

We are living in the harsh world invented by a handful of corporate raiders whose values are completely foreign to the fairness and moderation that had so long served as the proper foundation of American success and the American dream.

—Doris Haddock

He did poorly, but in (all) fairness [=to be fair to him], he was tired.

Synonyms

• aesthetics
• esthetics
• attractiveness
• beauteousness
• beautifulness
• beauty
• comeliness
• cuteness
• gorgeousness
• handsomeness
• looks
• loveliness
• prettiness
• sightliness

Examples of fairness in a Sentence

a city of incomparable fairness, Venice has enchanted travelers for centuries

fairness was certainly uppermost in the elderly woman's mind as she made arrangements for dividing the family heirlooms among her many grandchildren

Recent Examples on the Web

This also allowed for a healthy relationship with the media, which included productive back-and-forth dialogue between the city communications department and reporters working to ensure fairness and accuracy. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025

In Web3 games, smart contracts can enforce in-game rules and ownership transfers without intermediaries, giving players confidence in the fairness of transactions. —Faizy Ahmed, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

In fairness, a good breakfast buffet can offer an awful lot of satisfaction. —Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025

In fairness, Stephen A. Smith did eventually get to NIL and the transfer portal, even if it was buried beyond the attention-grabbing 'Death of College Basketball' headline. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fairness

• fairness doctrine

Rhymes for fairness

• bareness
• squareness
• awareness
• unfairness
• unawareness