evenhanded

adjective

even·​hand·​ed ˌē-vən-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce evenhanded (audio)
evenhandedly adverb
evenhandedness noun

Examples of evenhanded in a Sentence

I thought it was an evenhanded assessment of her performance. an evenhanded meting out of punishment
Recent Examples on the Web The evening’s ringmaster, Sean Hannity, had pledged to be an evenhanded and impartial facilitator of the discussion. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023 This is not an evenhanded information war between Israel and Hamas, the latter being a terror group banned in the U.S. and Europe that carried out the Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023 In the Middle East, Beijing has vociferously called for an end to the fighting between Israel and Hamas and claims to take an evenhanded approach to the belligerents. Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2023 Where Savior Complex is an evenhanded investigation of facts, The Mission is an engrossing philosophical exploration — a personalized profile of a particularly aggressive brand of Christianity. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2023 In Leaf’s evenhanded telling, there are no perfect options — only a menu of imperfect ones. Omari Daniels, Washington Post, 24 July 2023 Views on Israel have also become far more partisan, with Republicans, especially evangelicals, growing more supportive of Israeli policies and the overwhelming majority of Democrats preferring an evenhanded U.S. policy. Michael Barnett, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2023 Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass sounded more evenhanded at the strike’s onset last week. Samantha Chery, Washington Post, 9 May 2023 The New York Times published a more evenhanded if still unfavorable take by Vincent Canby. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evenhanded.' 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

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of evenhanded was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near evenhanded

Cite this Entry

“Evenhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evenhanded. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

evenhanded

adjective
even·​hand·​ed ˌē-vən-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce evenhanded (audio)
: not favoring one over another : fair, impartial
an evenhanded decision
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!