# fair cop

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A justifiable or reasonable capture or apprehension; also, broadly, a just or inescapable accusation.

## Etymology
Compound of fair (“just, correct”) + cop (“capture, arrest”). Attested from the late 19th century. The cop portion is originally from Northern England and is perhaps from a regional pronunciation of the now obsolete verb cap (“to capture; to seize”). Compare Scots cap (“seize, take by force”), kep (“catch”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fair-cop