Phrase guide

fair play

noun · phrase · 2 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

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

phrase

Meaning 2

used to acknowledge or congratulate for something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Ireland, UK, colloquial

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: لَعْب عَادِل (laʕb ʕādil) — good behavior
  • Betawi: sucèng — good behavior
  • Bulgarian: честна игра (čestna igra) — good behavior
  • Catalan: joc net — good behavior
  • French: fair-play — good behavior
  • French: franc-jeu — good behavior
  • French: fairplay — good behavior
  • Galician: xogo limpo — good behavior
  • German: Fair Play — good behavior
  • German: Fairplay — good behavior
  • Greek: ευ αγωνίζεσθαι (ev agonízesthai) — good behavior
  • Greek: φερ-πλέυ (fer-pléy) — good behavior
  • Greek: φερ πλέυ (fer pléy) — good behavior
  • Hungarian: tisztesség — good behavior
  • Hungarian: korrektség — good behavior
  • Hungarian: fair play — good behavior
  • Indonesian: saling menghormati — good behavior
  • Irish: cothrom na Féinne — good behavior
  • Japanese: フェアプレー (fea purē) — good behavior
  • Korean: 페어플레이 (peeopeullei) — good behavior
  • Kyrgyz: калыс оюн (kalıs oyun) — good behavior
  • Macedonian: фер игра (fer igra) — good behavior
  • Macedonian: ферплеј (ferplej) — good behavior
  • Macedonian: фер плеј (fer plej) — good behavior
  • Norman: fèrre-pliaie — good behavior
  • Polish: fair play — good behavior
  • Portuguese: jogo limpo — good behavior
  • Portuguese: fair play — good behavior
  • Romanian: fairplay — good behavior
  • Russian: игра́ по пра́вилам (igrá po právilam) — good behavior
  • Russian: че́стная игра́ (čéstnaja igrá) — good behavior
  • Scottish Gaelic: cothrom na Fèinne — good behavior
  • Spanish: juego limpio — good behavior
  • Swedish: rent spel — good behavior
  • Swedish: fair play — good behavior
  • Welsh: chwarae teg — good behavior