ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fairness

n.
US //ˈfɛɹnəs// UK //fˈeənəs// fair·ness
  1. 1 justice and equality (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    treating everyone in a way that is right, equal, and follows the rules.

    the quality of being reasonable, right, and free from discrimination or bias.

    Example

    The teacher showed fairness by giving every student the same amount of time for the test.

    Example

    The legal system must ensure fairness in every trial, regardless of the defendant's social standing or financial resources.

    Usage

    often used with the preposition 'in' regarding a specific context.
  2. 2 beauty (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary Archaic

    the quality of being beautiful or having a pleasing appearance.

    physical beauty or attractiveness; often used in historical or poetic contexts to describe a person's appearance.

    Example

    The poet wrote many verses about the lady's great fairness and kind heart.

    Example

    In the old legends, the princess was renowned throughout the kingdom for her extraordinary fairness and grace.

    Usage

    almost exclusively found in pre-20th century literature or poetry.
Origin

From Middle English fairness, fæȝernesse, from Old English fæġernes (“fairness; beauty; pleasantness”), equivalent to fair + -ness. Cognate with Old High German fagarnessi (“fairness”).

Word family

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