Main Difference
The main difference between Honest and Fair is that the Honest is a moral quality and Fair is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities.
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Honest
Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct, along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. Honesty also involves being trustworthy, loyal, fair, and sincere.
Honesty is valued in many ethnic and religious cultures. “Honesty is the best policy” is a proverb of Benjamin Franklin, while the quote “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom” is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, as used in a letter to Nathaniel Macon.
William Shakespeare famously describes honesty as an attribute people leave behind when he wrote that “no legacy is so rich as honesty” in act 3 scene 5 of “All’s Well that Ends Well.”
Others have noted, however, that “[t]oo much honesty might be seen as undisciplined openness”. For example, individuals may be perceived as being “too honest” if they honestly express the negative opinions of others, either without having been asked their opinion, or having been asked in a circumstance where the response would be trivial.
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Fair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre), also known as a funfair, is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks.
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Honest (adjective)
Scrupulous with regard to telling the truth; not given to swindling, lying, or fraud; upright.
“We’re the most honest people you will ever come across.”
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Honest (adjective)
True, especially as far as is known by the person making the statement; fair; unbiased.
“an honest account of events; honest reporting”
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Honest (adjective)
In good faith; without malice.
“an honest mistake”
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Honest (adjective)
Accurate.
“an honest scale”
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Honest (adjective)
Authentic; full.
“an honest day’s work”
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Honest (adjective)
Earned or acquired in a fair manner.
“an honest dollar”
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Honest (adjective)
Open; frank.
“an honest countenance”
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Honest (adjective)
Decent; honourable; suitable; becoming.
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Honest (adjective)
Chaste; faithful; virtuous.
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Honest (verb)
To adorn or grace; to honour; to make becoming, appropriate, or honourable.
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Honest (adverb)
Honestly; really.
“It wasn’t my fault, honest.”
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Fair (adjective)
Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.
“Monday’s child is fair of face.”
“There was once a knight who wooed a fair young maid.”
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Fair (adjective)
Unblemished (figuratively or literally); clean and pure; innocent.
“one’s fair name”
“After scratching out and replacing various words in the manuscript, he scribed a fair copy to send to the publisher.”
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Fair (adjective)
Light in color, pale, particularly as regards skin tone but also referring to blond hair.
“She had fair hair and blue eyes.”
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Fair (adjective)
Just, equitable.
“He must be given a fair trial.”
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Fair (adjective)
Adequate, reasonable, or decent.
“The patient was in a fair condition after some treatment.”
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Fair (adjective)
Favorable to a ship’s course.
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Fair (adjective)
Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.
“a fair sky;”
“a fair day”
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Fair (adjective)
Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unencumbered; open; direct; said of a road, passage, etc.
“a fair mark;”
“in fair sight;”
“a fair view”
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Fair (adjective)
Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; flowing; said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines.
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Fair (adjective)
Between the baselines.
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Fair (noun)
Something which is fair (in various senses of the adjective).
“When will we learn to distinguish between the fair and the foul?”
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Fair (noun)
A woman, a member of the ‘fair sex’; also as a collective singular, women.
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Fair (noun)
Fairness, beauty.
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Fair (noun)
A fair woman; a sweetheart.
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Fair (noun)
Good fortune; good luck.
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Fair (noun)
A community gathering to celebrate and exhibit local achievements.
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Fair (noun)
An event for public entertainment and trade, a market.
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Fair (noun)
An event for professionals in a trade to learn of new products and do business, a trade fair.
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Fair (noun)
A travelling amusement park (called a funfair in British English and a (travelling) carnival in US English).
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Fair (verb)
To smoothen or even a surface (especially a connection or junction on a surface).
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Fair (verb)
To bring into perfect alignment (especially about rivet holes when connecting structural members).
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Fair (verb)
To construct or design a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline or reduce air drag or water resistance.
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Fair (verb)
To make fair or beautiful.
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Fair (adverb)
clearly, openly, frankly, civilly, honestly, favorably, auspiciously, agreeably
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Fair (adjective)
treating people equally without favouritism or discrimination
“the group has achieved fair and equal representation for all its members”
“a fairer distribution of wealth”
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Fair (adjective)
just or appropriate in the circumstances
“to be fair, this subject poses special problems”
“it’s not fair to take it out on her”
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Fair (adjective)
(of a means or procedure) not violent
“try first by fair means”
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Fair (adjective)
(of hair or complexion) light; blonde
“a pretty girl with long fair hair”
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Fair (adjective)
(of a person) having a light complexion or hair
“he’s very fair with blue eyes”
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Fair (adjective)
considerable though not outstanding in size or amount
“he did a fair bit of coaching”
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Fair (adjective)
moderately good
“he believes he has a fair chance of success”
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Fair (adjective)
complete; utter
“this cow is a fair swine”
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Fair (adjective)
(of weather) fine and dry
“a fair autumn day”
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Fair (adjective)
(of the wind) favourable
“they set sail with a fair wind”
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Fair (adjective)
beautiful
“the fairest of her daughters”
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Fair (adjective)
(of words) specious despite being initially attractive
“the Sophists have plenty of brave words and fair devices”
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Fair (adverb)
without cheating or trying to achieve unjust advantage
“no one could say he played fair”
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Fair (adverb)
to a high degree
“she’ll be fair delighted to see you”
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Fair (noun)
a beautiful woman
“pursuing his fair in a solitary street”
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Fair (noun)
a gathering of stalls and amusements for public entertainment
“I won a goldfish at the fair”
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Fair (noun)
a periodic gathering for the sale of goods.
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Fair (noun)
an exhibition to promote particular products
“the European Fine Art Fair”
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Fair (noun)
an annual competitive exhibition of livestock, agricultural products, etc., held by a town, county, or state.
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Fair (verb)
(of the weather) become fine
“looks like it’s fairing off some”
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Fair (verb)
streamline (a vehicle, boat, or aircraft) by adding fairings
“it is fully faired and race ready”