Phrase guide

fair game

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Actions permissible by the rules.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, uncountable

Examples

  • Pretending to be slow is fair game. Pretending to be injured is not.
  • The referee ruled the unprecedented play fair game.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A goal or an object that may legitimately be sought.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, uncountable

Examples

  • After the middle sister's call from a friend's house, her slice of cake was fair game.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An acceptable subject or target for criticism, scrutiny, mockery, or attack.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, uncountable

Examples

  • Anyone running for office is fair game for criticism.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fair, game.: a game that is fair, that does not involve cheating, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he fell prey to muggers
  • everyone was fair game
  • the target of a manhunt

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prey, quarry, target

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: victim

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: cible légitime — a goal or an object that may legitimately be sought
  • German: Freiwild — a goal or an object that may legitimately be sought
  • Hungarian: szabad préda — a goal or an object that may legitimately be sought
  • Serbo-Croatian: dopuštena lovina — a goal or an object that may legitimately be sought
  • Spanish: blanco legítimo — a goal or an object that may legitimately be sought