We usefairlyas an adverb meaning ‘in a way which is right and just’:
She took her employer to court because she claimed that she hadn’t been treatedfairly.
United Nations observers made sure that the election was conductedfairly.
We also usefairlyas an adverb of degree before adjectives and adverbs to mean ‘quite, but less than very’:
He’sfairlytall.(He’s quite tall, but not very tall.)
My mother says that her family wasfairlypoor when she was growing up.
He visits usfairlyregularly these days.
Don’t confuse the adjectivefairwith the adverbfairly:
I think it will be very, very difficult for the unions to negotiate with these companies in afairway.
Not: …in a fairly way.
I believe everyone should be treatedfairly.
Not: …treated fair.
See also:
Adverbs: types
Quite