noun · academic
fairness
UK/ˈfeənəs/US/ˈfɛrnəs/FAIR·ness
the quality of treating people in a way that is right and equal
Examples
“Students complain when grading lacks fairness.”
“Fairness is essential in any legal system.”
“Teachers try to ensure fairness when marking essays.”
Band 8 sentence
“Ensuring fairness in university admissions requires transparent criteria and regular audits of the selection process.”
Collocations
- ensure fairness
- perceived fairness
- procedural fairness
Word family
Common mistakes
The teacher must ensure a fairness in marking.→The teacher must ensure fairness in marking.
We need equalness in society.→We need fairness in society.
Say it for a higher band
5being fair→6equality→7+fairness
Synonyms
justice
impartiality
Easily confused
equality
“Policies that promote equality do not always guarantee fairness.”
justice
“People demanded justice, but what they really wanted was fairness in everyday life.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In -ness
Learn it with its set