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

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 Sessions is pursuing justice understood as the strict and impartial application of the law. — Joseph Holt, Fortune, "I’m a Biblical Scholar. It’s Clear That Jeff Sessions Needs a Bible Lesson," 20 June 2018 Tomorrow, [special counsel Robert] Mueller should be suspended and honest people should be brought in, impartial people to investigate these people like [FBI agent] Peter Strzok. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "What the heck is Rudy Giuliani talking about?," 15 June 2018 Questions were selected and posed by a moderator, an impartial newspaper reporter or editor. — Houston Chronicle, "Letters to the Editor: week of June 9-15," 9 June 2018 An impartial state mediator hired in late April helped the parties resolve the main sticking point: salaries. — Karen Pearlman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Lemon Grove school district, teachers reach contract agreement," 1 June 2018 All of them go against the spirit of a truly neutral network and impartial Internet providers. — Ars Staff, Ars Technica, "Dealmaster: Get 6 free months of Apple Music with a Verizon unlimited plan," 16 Aug. 2018 In the opening brief, Green and Engle assert that: The over-the-top media coverage, including livestreaming the initial trial, denied Arias a fair trial and an impartial jury. — Michael Kiefer, azcentral, "First look: Jodi Arias' defense attorneys file 342-page brief in conviction appeal," 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.