fair copy
Polished written draft
A fair copy is a clean, final version of a document, written or typed neatly after corrections have been made to earlier drafts.
The term comes from an era when documents were handwritten and needed to be recopied in legible form for official use: The clerk prepared a fair copy of the contract for signatures.
Original text before publication
- handwrittenWritten by hand
- scrivenerProfessional penman for hire
- amanuensisDictation-taking assistant
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
penmanship · engrossing · scribal · holograph · foolscap · quill · inkwell · parchment
Yielding to another's will
- publishableFit for publication
- revisionAltering to improve
- proofreadCheck writing for mistakes
- editModify written material
corrected · polished · completed · finished · typeset · camera-ready · approved · definitive
In identical wording
- faithfulConsistently loyal and true
- exactPerfectly correct, no deviation
- error-freeLacking any mistakes
- accurateConforming to fact
meticulous · precise · letter-perfect · fidelity · authenticity · conformity · transcribe · reproduce
Orderly, or undiluted
- tidyFree from clutter
- cleanFree of soil
- unblemishedFree from any defect
- immaculateCompletely without blemish
legible · readable · clear · orderly · pristine · crisp · unmarked · presentable
manuscript
Original text before publication
- handwrittenWritten by hand
- scrivenerProfessional penman for hire
- amanuensisDictation-taking assistant
calligraphy · penmanship · engrossing · scribal · holograph · foolscap · quill · inkwell · parchment · vellum
submission
Yielding to another's will
- publishableFit for publication
- revisionAltering to improve
- proofreadCheck writing for mistakes
edit · corrected · polished · completed · finished · typeset · camera-ready · approved · definitive · authoritative
verbatim
In identical wording
- faithfulConsistently loyal and true
- exactPerfectly correct, no deviation
- error-freeLacking any mistakes
accurate · meticulous · precise · letter-perfect · fidelity · authenticity · conformity · transcribe · reproduce · replicate
neat
Orderly, or undiluted
- tidyFree from clutter
- cleanFree of soil
- unblemishedFree from any defect
immaculate · legible · readable · clear · orderly · pristine · crisp · unmarked · presentable · well-formed
- written worksessay, novel, anthologies, history books, letter
- originalsoriginal, authentic, genuine, prototype, archetype
- manuscriptscodex, codices, folio, folios, papyri
- copiesphotocopy, duplicate, xerox, facsimile, replica
- sheet musicsheet music, treble clef, score, notes, scores
- textual criticismcritical apparatus, collation, emendation, recension, variant
fair copyrough draft
Unpolished first attempt
rough copy · draft · first draft · working draft · notes
fair, copy, fairer, fairest, fairly, fairness, unfair, unfairly, unfairness