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

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 Democrats are expected to ask whether Wray, who in December defended his agency's independence and integrity before the House Judiciary Committee, is still confident that his agents are acting in an impartial manner in the Russia probe. — The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, "Top U.S. spy: Russia will attempt to undermine the 2018 midterm elections," 13 Feb. 2018 To Durant’s critics and some impartial observers, his career-altering decision to leave Oklahoma City will be viewed as a double tribute to James. — Ben Golliver, SI.com, "What If LeBron Hadn't Made It? Imagining the NBA Without King James," 10 May 2018 The third issue was the matter of mandatory impartial investigations at the beginning of any probe into claims. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Members of Congress Can Pay Sexual Harassment Settlements With Taxpayer Dollars, but That Could Change," 13 Dec. 2018 For example, paid solicitors allegedly claimed the initiative was supported by the city attorney and mayor, who are required by law to remain impartial. — Phil Diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mansion owner taking sand squabble to ballot box," 4 July 2018 Those platforms were keen to host content but held news organizations at arm’s length in an effort to remain impartial about what users consumed. — Alyssa Newcomb /, NBC News, "Twitter introduces personalized news alerts ahead of the World Cup," 13 June 2018 ALJs, however, are charged as impartial arbiters of agency disputes. — Joe Davidson, Washington Post, "Trump order risks ‘politicization’ of administrative judiciary," 13 July 2018 As a result, areas exposed to the church for longer developed more impersonal norms, like individualism and impartial treatment, as opposed to obedience and nepotism. — Kevin Lewis, BostonGlobe.com, "Looking for negative signals," 6 July 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.