reasonably fair

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "reasonably fair" is an acceptable and common expression used in written English.
An example sentence could be: "He offered a reasonably fair price for the used car."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"He's been reasonably fair".

The New York Times

But it's got to be reasonably fair.

The New York Times

The chances of a reasonably fair ballot are good and there has been no serious violence.

The Economist

Their political representatives have never attracted majorities when Pakistan has held reasonably fair elections.

The New York Times

First, societies function properly only when they are judged by their citizens to be reasonably fair.

The Guardian - Opinion

It has held a raft of elections judged reasonably fair by international observers, but is little-noticed.

The Economist

In 1993, Ange-Félix Patassé became the CAR's first president to win power in a reasonably fair election.

The Economist

This description was reasonably fair during the first century of European settlement, when wool exports reigned supreme.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Remarkably, hockey has left Ferrara in reasonably fair health, despite all those years he spent brawling through the sport.

The New York Times - Sports

"Does the system work to spread the wealth in some way that's reasonably fair?" Mr. Rohatyn asked.

The New York Times

"Years of trial and error," Kahn writes, "went into making the head game both interesting and reasonably fair".

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "reasonably fair" when you want to convey that something is not perfectly fair, but is fair enough under the circumstances. It is a balanced way to express an assessment.

Common error

Avoid using "reasonably fair" when the situation is clearly unjust or biased. The phrase implies a degree of impartiality that may be misleading in such contexts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "reasonably fair" functions as an adjective phrase that modifies a noun. It describes the degree to which something meets the standards of fairness. It's used to express that something is fair to an acceptable extent, as evidenced by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "reasonably fair" is a common and acceptable way to describe something that isn't perfectly fair but meets a certain level of acceptability. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is used in diverse contexts, predominantly in news, media, and scientific domains. While grammatically correct, the phrase indicates a degree of subjective assessment, suggesting that the concept of fairness isn't always absolute. When deciding to utilize the term, writers should consider whether the situation warrants a tempered judgment or a stronger expression of equity. Ludwig's examples provide a broad view of the ways that "reasonably fair" can be implemented in writing, enhancing both clarity and contextual accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Reasonably equitable

Replaces "fair" with "equitable", emphasizing impartiality and justice.

Relatively fair

Substitutes "reasonably" with "relatively", indicating a similar degree of fairness.

Adequately fair

Replaces "reasonably" with "adequately", suggesting that the level of fairness is sufficient.

Sufficiently fair

Uses "sufficiently" instead of "reasonably", implying that the fairness meets a certain requirement or standard.

Comparatively fair

Changes "reasonably" to "comparatively", highlighting fairness in relation to something else.

Justly fair

Replaces "reasonably" with "justly", emphasizing moral rightness and fairness.

Acceptably fair

Substitutes "reasonably" with "acceptably", focusing on whether the fairness meets a certain threshold of approval.

Passably fair

Implies a minimum level of fairness, replacing "reasonably" with "passably".

Kind of fair

An informal alternative that maintains the core meaning of being somewhat fair.

Moderately fair

Replaces "reasonably" with "moderately", suggesting a medium level of fairness.

FAQs

How can I use "reasonably fair" in a sentence?

You can use "reasonably fair" to describe situations, judgments, or agreements that are not perfect but still acceptable. For example, "The election was "reasonably fair", despite some minor irregularities."

What are some alternatives to saying "reasonably fair"?

Alternatives include "relatively fair", "adequately fair", or "acceptably fair". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to say "reasonably fair"?

While "fair" itself implies a degree of reasonableness, "reasonably fair" emphasizes that the fairness is not absolute or perfect, but rather meets a certain acceptable standard. The addition of "reasonably" mitigates expectations of absolute equity.

What's the difference between "reasonably fair" and "completely fair"?

"Reasonably fair" suggests some imperfections or compromises exist, while "completely fair" implies an ideal, unbiased outcome. If something is not entirely equal but is good enough, then the term "reasonably fair" applies. On the other hand, "completely fair" suggests perfection.