impartial

adjective
im·​par·​tial | \ (ˌ)im-ˈpär-shəl How to pronounce impartial (audio) \

Definition of impartial

: not partial or biased : treating or affecting all equally

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Other Words from impartial

impartiality \ (ˌ)im-​ˌpär-​shē-​ˈa-​lə-​tē How to pronounce impartiality (audio) , -​ˌpär-​ˈsha-​ \ noun
impartially \ (ˌ)im-​ˈpär-​sh(ə-​)lē How to pronounce impartially (audio) \ adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for impartial

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

Impartial vs Partial

To be "partial to" or "partial toward" someone or something is to be somewhat biased or prejudiced, which means that a person who is partial really only sees part of the whole picture. To be impartial is the opposite. The United Nations sends impartial observers to monitor elections in troubled countries. We hope judges and juries will be impartial when they hand down verdicts. But grandparents aren't expected to be impartial when describing their new grandchild.

Examples of impartial in a Sentence

an impartial analysis of the case an impartial evaluation of the job applicant's qualifications that does not consider age, gender, or race
Recent Examples on the Web Essentially Mulder's department is the last, impartial line of defense for Kentuckians who feel like they've been wronged by the system, and Carnahan's team is the point of entry. Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, "You're not shouting into a void. Meet the team behind the 'general COVID inquires' email," 6 Nov. 2020 While Fox News is the favored channel of Trump because of the strong vocal support he is given by its opinion hosts, the network touts its impartial reporting on election nights. Stephen Battaglio Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "TV news coverage is cautious as election night turns into a weeklong epic," 4 Nov. 2020 In a recent poll, about half of Iranians surveyed claimed to be impartial on who wins. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, "'Clear but unspoken preference': As America votes, the world is watching with bated breath," 2 Nov. 2020 The shooting has prompted calls — including from the Mexico consul — for an impartial and transparent investigation. David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Police release name of man fatally shot by Border Patrol agent," 27 Oct. 2020 There, a judge will re-examine Peterson’s convictions and determine whether he was denied the right to trial by an impartial jury. Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, "Prosecutors to again seek death penalty against Scott Peterson in long-ago case," 23 Oct. 2020 Experts say it’s important for deaths in custody to be quickly and thoroughly investigated by impartial agencies. jsonline.com, "Maricella’s Last Breath: She died alone in a cell at 16. Officials said they were devastated. They didn’t say they did anything wrong.," 23 Oct. 2020 Trump has complained that Welker is not impartial, and his campaign suggested the topics were selected to limit discussion of Biden’s son Hunter’s involvement with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Jamie Mcintyre, Washington Examiner, "$19B down the drain, Pentagon watchdog’s latest report details Afghanistan’s swamp of ineptitude and corruption," 21 Oct. 2020 The search for a killer app Finding an impartial opinion on blockchain projects isn't easy. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, "The blockchain industry faces a moment of truth as high-profile projects go live," 21 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impartial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of impartial

1587, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for impartial

Time Traveler

The first known use of impartial was in 1587

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Statistics for impartial

Last Updated

13 Nov 2020

Cite this Entry

“Impartial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impartial. Accessed 22 Nov. 2020.

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More Definitions for impartial

impartial

adjective
How to pronounce impartial (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of impartial

: treating all people and groups equally : not partial or biased

impartial

adjective
im·​par·​tial | \ im-ˈpär-shəl How to pronounce impartial (audio) \

Kids Definition of impartial

: not favoring one side over another : fair an impartial referee

Other Words from impartial

impartially adverb

impartial

adjective
im·​par·​tial | \ im-ˈpär-shəl How to pronounce impartial (audio) \

Legal Definition of impartial

: not partial or biased : treating or affecting all equally

Other Words from impartial

impartiality \ im-​ˌpär-​shē-​ˈa-​lə-​tē How to pronounce impartiality (audio) \ noun
impartially adverb

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