Meaning & use
square deal
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Meanings
nounsingularinformal
Fair and honest treatment, especially in business or politics, with no one taking advantage of anyone else.
Grammar: Almost always used with 'a': give someone a square deal. It is not countable in the plural in this sense.
Patterns
- give someone a square deal
- get a square deal
- a square deal for someone
- deserve a square deal
The workers asked for a square deal after years of unpaid overtime.
Small businesses say they are not getting a square deal from the new tax rules.
She promised voters a square deal on housing and wages.
nouncountableinformal
An agreement or arrangement that is fair to both sides and is carried out honestly.
Grammar: Can take a plural when talking about several such agreements: both sides signed square deals.
Patterns
- strike a square deal
- a square deal between two sides
- negotiate a square deal
After months of talks, the two countries struck a square deal on fishing rights.
The union called the settlement a square deal for everyone involved.
Common combinations
- give someone a square deal
- The manager promised to give every worker a square deal.
- get a square deal
- Rural customers often feel they do not get a square deal from big banks.
- a square deal for someone
- The new policy is meant to be a square deal for tenants.
- strike a square deal
- Negotiators finally struck a square deal on pay and hours.
- deserve a square deal
- After all that work, the team deserves a square deal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fair treatment
- The plain, neutral phrase; use it when you want no hint of informal or political language.
- justice
- Stronger and broader, often about law or moral rights rather than everyday dealings.
- a fair shake
- Very informal American English; it means roughly the same but is too casual for formal writing.
Opposites
Word family
- square adjective
- Honest and fair, as in 'a square business deal'.
- squarely adverb
- Directly and firmly, as in 'The blame lies squarely with management'.
Commonly confused: square deal or fair deal? square deal or deal?
square deal vs fair deal
'Fair deal' is a general phrase about fairness; 'square deal' is a fixed informal expression with the same idea and often a political flavor.
square deal vs deal
On its own, 'a deal' is any agreement, good or bad; only 'a square deal' builds in the idea of fairness.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'square deal' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'A square deal' means fair treatment, so equal pay and clear hours fit. The other options treat 'deal' as an amount of goods, a deadline, or a reason, which are different senses of 'deal' and do not combine with 'square'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “square deal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.