Definition of IMPARTIAL

Other Words from impartial

impartiality \ (ˌ)im-ˌpär-shē-ˈa-lə-tē

, -ˌpär-ˈsha- \ noun

impartially \ (ˌ)im-ˈpär-sh(ə-)lē

\ 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

Obviously, my bias doesn't make the most impartial taster of Reese's products. — Woman's Day, "We Tried the New Reese's Cup Made Strictly For Peanut Butter Lovers," 27 Mar. 2019 Any good therapist will work to be completely impartial at all times. — SELF, "Is It a Bad Idea to See the Same Therapist as Someone You Know?," 24 Jan. 2019 Experts worry that handing over crucial decisions to algorithms that cannot explain their thinking or understand human behavior is unwise, while firms selling these services say a machine-level approach is more detailed and impartial. — James Vincent, The Verge, "Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter limit data access for AI-powered babysitter background checks," 29 Nov. 2018 Nearly all the rest were dismissed because of busy jobs, family or medical issues, or strong views about the case that prevented them from being impartial. — Gal Tziperman Lotan, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Noor Salman trial: 'It's a big moral responsibility,' potential juror says of Pulse widow's case," 6 Mar. 2018 Sometimes acting impartial helps us to think impartially. — George Rodrigue, cleveland.com, "Avoiding the perception of bias: George Rodrigue," 29 Jan. 2018 For hours on Thursday and Friday, Judge Rex Burlison and two teams of lawyers meticulously questioned St. Louis residents in a search for an impartial jury that had not already decided on the guilt or innocence of their embattled governor. — Julie Bosman, New York Times, "Is Gov. Greitens Truthful? It’s a Question for the Jury, if They Can Seat One," 11 May 2018 Democrats block his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, painting him as an ideological warrior rather than impartial jurist. — Greg Ip, WSJ, "The Supreme Court Won’t Stop Executive Overreach," 11 July 2018 The official supervising the Special Counsel investigation must be—in both fact and appearance—independent and impartial. — Byron Tau, WSJ, "Justice Department Poised to Issue Legal Opinion Supporting Whitaker Appointment," 12 Nov. 2018

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.