fair play

noun

Good behavior; conduct (in sports or another endeavor) that is respectful of the rules, the spirit of the activity, and the adversary.

Meanings

nounfair play (uncountable)
  1. uncountableGood behavior; conduct (in sports or another endeavor) that is respectful of the rules, the spirit of the activity, and the adversary.

    Financial fair play – talked about as if it is somehow nothing to do with the way the club is run, an imposition upon their work rather than a consequence of the way they work – meant that they could not spend what they do not generate.

    2017 January 18, Sid Lowe, “Chaos at Mestalla: Valencia's journey from Champions League to utter disarray”, in the Guardian
    1 more example

    The result, eventually, was the conviction of Mr. Hiss on charges of perjury. But the feature that especially appealed to me was the reputation that Congressman Nixon had achieved for fairness in the investigating process. Not once had he overstepped the limits prescribed by the American sense of fair play or American rules applying to such investigations. He did not persecute or defame.

    1963, Dwight Eisenhower, Mandate for Change 1953-1956, Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 46
phrase
  1. IrelandUKcolloquialused to acknowledge or congratulate for something.

    "Fair play to Jean, he has made it work for him."

    1990 July 1, Joe Saward, quoting Martin Donnelly, “Interview: Martin Donnelly”, in The Business of Motorsport Newsletter, archived from the original on 16 Oct 2017
    4 more examples

    [S]he consolidated her position by purchasing the kennels, doing them up regardless of expense and buying two new horses, and, fair play to her, fair play, as they say in Wales, ...

    1964, Charles Norman De Courcy-Parry, Here lies my story, page 248

    The Gaelic Athletic Association, fair play to them, want absolutely nothing to do whatsoever with that thingumajig football tournament in America.

    1994 June 21, Liam Hayes, “GAA's holding its own now, but could lose in the end”, in Irish Voice, archived from the original on 21 Apr 2016

    I wasn't expecting much of Ms Dynamite at the start of the night, but fair play to her, she's got a great voice on her.

    2002 October 30, "Acquiesce", “Re: noel and chris at fair play gig”, in alt.music.oasis (Usenet)

    Liam Watson: "Fair play to Southport, they were the best team on paper because they got the most points. We just want to prove we are as good as them".

    2010 May 7, “Clayton sure buoyant Reds are up to the task of seeing off Fleetwood”, in Derby Evening Telegraph

Translations

Arabic لَعْب عَادِل
  • لَعْب عَادِل (laʕb ʕādil)good behavior
Bulgarian честна игра
  • честна игра (čestna igra)good behavior
Catalan joc net
  • joc netgood behavior
French fair-play, franc-jeu
  • fair-playgood behavior
  • franc-jeugood behavior
  • fairplaygood behavior
German Fair Play, Fairplay
  • Fair Playgood behavior
  • Fairplaygood behavior
Greek ευ αγωνίζεσθαι, φερ-πλέυ
  • ευ αγωνίζεσθαι (ev agonízesthai)good behavior
  • φερ-πλέυ (fer-pléy)good behavior
  • φερ πλέυ (fer pléy)good behavior
Hungarian tisztesség, korrektség
  • tisztességgood behavior
  • korrektséggood behavior
  • fair playgood behavior
Indonesian saling menghormati
  • saling menghormatigood behavior
Irish cothrom na Féinne
  • cothrom na Féinnegood behavior
Japanese フェアプレー
  • フェアプレー (fea purē)good behavior
Korean 페어플레이
  • 페어플레이 (peeopeullei)good behavior
Polish fair play
  • fair playgood behavior
Portuguese jogo limpo, fair play
  • jogo limpogood behavior
  • fair playgood behavior
Romanian fairplay
  • fairplaygood behavior
Russian игра́ по пра́вилам, че́стная игра́
  • игра́ по пра́вилам (igrá po právilam)good behavior
  • че́стная игра́ (čéstnaja igrá)good behavior
Scottish Gaelic cothrom na Fèinne
  • cothrom na Fèinnegood behavior
Spanish juego limpio
  • juego limpiogood behavior
Swedish rent spel, fair play
  • rent spelgood behavior
  • fair playgood behavior
Welsh chwarae teg
  • chwarae teggood behavior
Cite this entry
APA

fair play. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fair%20play

MLA

“fair play.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fair%20play. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fair play,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fair%20play.

Source: fair play on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.