# fairness

/ˈfɛɹnəs/ (US) · /fˈeənəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fairness
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. justice and equality

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

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

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

the quality of being beautiful or having a pleasing appearance.

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

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

## Examples

- The referee made sure the game was played with fairness.
- To ensure fairness in the hiring process, the manager used the same set of questions for every candidate.
- The debate over tax reform centers on the principle of fairness, specifically whether the burden should be distributed according to income or through a flat rate for all citizens.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.