# fairness

Pronunciation: say "FAIR-nuhs" US /ˈfɛɚ.nəs/, UK /ˈfɛə.nəs/, AUS /ˈfeː.nəs/

## Noun

1. The quality of being just and impartial, so that people are treated equitably and decisions are made without bias.
   - Simple: The quality of treating everyone equally and in the right way.
   - _The referee's fairness was never in question, even when his calls went against the home team._
   - _Critics questioned the fairness of a tax system that burdened lower earners most heavily._

## Noun

2. The quality of being beautiful or lovely, especially in a person's face or appearance. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Beauty, especially of a person's face or appearance.
   - _The ballad celebrated the fairness of his beloved above all other women._
   - _Her fairness drew admiring glances as she passed through the crowded court._

## Origin

From Middle English "fairness," from Old English "fæġernes" (fairness, beauty, pleasantness), equivalent to "fair" plus "-ness." It is cognate with Old High German "fagarnessi" (fairness).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/fairness (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).