dispassionate

adjective

dis·​pas·​sion·​ate (ˌ)dis-ˈpa-sh(ə-)nət How to pronounce dispassionate (audio)
: not influenced by strong feeling
especially : not affected by personal or emotional involvement
a dispassionate critic
a dispassionate approach to an issue
dispassionately adverb
dispassionateness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for dispassionate

fair, just, equitable, impartial, unbiased, dispassionate, objective mean free from favor toward either or any side.

fair implies a proper balance of conflicting interests.

a fair decision

just implies an exact following of a standard of what is right and proper.

a just settlement of territorial claims

equitable implies a less rigorous standard than just and usually suggests equal treatment of all concerned.

the equitable distribution of the property

impartial stresses an absence of favor or prejudice.

an impartial third party

unbiased implies even more strongly an absence of all prejudice.

your unbiased opinion

dispassionate suggests freedom from the influence of strong feeling and often implies cool or even cold judgment.

a dispassionate summation of the facts

objective stresses a tendency to view events or persons as apart from oneself and one's own interest or feelings.

I can't be objective about my own child

Examples of dispassionate in a Sentence

Journalists aim to be dispassionate observers. He spoke in a dispassionate tone about the accident.
Recent Examples on the Web His protagonists are dispassionate observers, not heroic soldiers: a group of war correspondents, reporters, and photographers trying to sneak through military lines to get at the biggest story in the world. David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2024 The manager barely reacts, asking for a replay review while a command center makes the dispassionate final call. Dan Gelston, Anchorage Daily News, 9 June 2023 He is disciplined, deliberate and dispassionate, especially in negotiations and when dealing with the media. Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2024 The lenses’ dispassionate stare transforms Höss into a nonspecific father, husband and Nazi commandant. Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023 But pundits should always show their work and walk people through their analysis in a dispassionate manner. Noah Rothman, National Review, 10 Nov. 2023 Much of the book is given over to the dispassionate recording of her father’s habits and behaviors. Maggie Doherty, The New Republic, 31 Oct. 2023 But the Roberts court is not about compromise, dispassionate or otherwise. Jeffrey Toobin, The New Republic, 2 Oct. 2023 Heated political rhetoric is not responsible for creating the impression in gullible American minds that the border is a disaster; the empirical crisis at the border has convinced dispassionate observers to call it a crisis. Noah Rothman, National Review, 5 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dispassionate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dispassionate was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near dispassionate

Cite this Entry

“Dispassionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispassionate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dispassionate

adjective
dis·​pas·​sion·​ate (ˈ)dis-ˈpash-(ə-)nət How to pronounce dispassionate (audio)
: not influenced by strong feeling : calm, impartial
a dispassionate judge
dispassionately adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on dispassionate

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