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

Sean Rayford/Getty Images Of course, Bannon is working to usher in just such a future, so his assessment of the populist movement’s success is not exactly impartial. — Alex Ward, Vox, "“A collapse of the center”: why fringe movements are winning around the world," 29 Oct. 2018 Asking the Council to be truly impartial is difficult, as the Human Rights Council is made up of member states rather than independent human rights experts. — Susan Hannah Allen, Washington Post, "The U.S. withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council. That’s not how the Council was supposed to work.," 26 June 2018 The Senate Intelligence Committee — which has so far conducted the least fractious and most impartial congressional probe — is expected to release a series of Russia reports in the weeks ahead. — Erin Kelly, USA TODAY, "Russia investigation: What's next for congressional probes?," 8 Apr. 2018 And an impartial system of justice, that deems that every person is innocent until they are proven guilty. — Fox News, "Women who know Kavanaugh rush to his defense," 18 Sep. 2018 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

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.