Fairway Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms fairway American [fair-wey] / ˈfɛərˌweɪ /

noun

1. an unobstructed passage, way, or area.

2. Golf.

   1. the part of the course where the grass is cut short between the tees and the putting greens, exclusive of the rough, trees, and hazards.

      More important than long drives is keeping your ball on the fairway.

   2. the mowed part of any hole between the tee and the green.

      The foursome is now on the tenth fairway.

3. Nautical.

   1. the navigable portion of a river, harbor, or other partly enclosed body of water.

   2. the channel customarily navigated by vessels in such a body of water.

fairway British / ˈfɛəˌweɪ /

noun

1. (on a golf course) the areas of shorter grass between the tees and greens, esp the avenue approaching a green bordered by rough

2. nautical

   1. the navigable part of a river, harbour, etc

   2. the customary course followed by vessels

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fairway

1515–25; 1905–10 fairway for def. 2; fair 1 + way 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A drizzle and chill could not discourage hundreds of fans with umbrellas from lining the fairways to cheer for their favorite players on the 100-year anniversary of the tournament originally called the LA Open.

From Los Angeles Times

He faced an agonizing 20-minute wait on the 18th fairway as Jacob Bridgeman, in the preceding group, played a shot from the beach that cracked off a cliff and back into the ocean.

From Barron's

His waywardness finally caught up with him, as he was in the church pews bunker left the fairway on the way to his first bogey of the day.

From Barron's

Scheffler, making his season debut after a 2025 campaign that featured two major titles among his six wins, hit just five of 14 fairways.

From Barron's

It is also a clear fairway for investors pursuing a steady income stream with an eye on impact External link.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.