Definitions for fairness

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

fair^*fɛər(adj.; adv.)fair•er, fair•est.

free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice.
legitimately sought, done, given, etc.; proper under the rules:
a fair fight.
moderately large; ample:
a fair income.
neither excellent nor poor; moderately or tolerably good:
fair health.
(of the sky) bright; sunny; cloudless to half-cloudy. (of the weather) fine; with no prospect of rain, snow, or hail; not stormy.
Category: Meteorology
of a light hue; not dark:
fair skin.
pleasing in appearance; attractive:
a fair young maiden.
(of a wind or tide) tending to aid the progress of a vessel.
Category: Nautical, Navy
marked by favoring conditions; likely; promising:
in a fair way to succeed.
without irregularity or unevenness:
a fair surface.
free from blemish.
courteous; civil:
fair words.
(adv.)in a fair manner:
He doesn't play fair.
favorably; auspiciously.
(n.)Archaic. something that is fair.
Archaic. a woman. a beloved woman.
(v.t.)to draw and adjust (the lines of a ship's hull being designed) to produce regular surfaces of the correct form.
Category: Nautical, Navy

Idioms for fair:

bid fair,to seem likely:
This entry bids fair to win first prize.
Category: Idiom
fair and square, honestly; justly. honest; just; straightforward.
Category: Idiom
fair to middling,only tolerably good; so-so.
Category: Idiom, Informal

^* Syn: fair , impartial , disinterested refer to lack of bias in opinions, judgments, etc. fair implies the treating of all sides alike, justly and equitably: a fair compromise. impartial also implies showing no more favor to one side than another, but suggests particularly a judicial consideration of a case: an impartial judge. disinterested implies a fairness arising from lack of desire to obtain a selfish advantage: a disinterested concern that the best person win.

Origin of fair:

bef. 900; ME; OE fæger

fair′ness(n.)

fairfɛər(n.)

a usu. competitive exhibition of farm products, livestock, etc., often combined with entertainment and held annually by a county or state.
a periodic gathering of buyers and sellers in an appointed place.
an exposition in which different exhibitors participate, often with the purpose of buying or selling or of familiarizing the public with the products:
a home-furnishings fair.
Category: Common Vocabulary
an exhibition and sale of articles to raise money, often for some charitable purpose.

Origin of fair:

1300–50; ME feire < AF, OF < LL fēria religious festival, holiday (ML: market), in L only pl.; akin to feast

Princeton's WordNet

fairness, equity(noun)
conformity with rules or standards
"the judge recognized the fairness of my claim"
fairness, fair-mindedness, candor, candour(noun)
ability to make judgments free from discrimination or dishonesty
paleness, blondness, fairness(noun)
the property of having a naturally light complexion
comeliness, fairness, loveliness, beauteousness(noun)
the quality of being good looking and attractive