impartial

adjective

im·​par·​tial (ˌ)im-ˈpär-shəl How to pronounce impartial (audio)
: not partial or biased : treating or affecting all equally
impartiality noun
impartially adverb

Did you know?

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.

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

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 What could be different here is that Carlson has continued to be seen by many as an impartial journalist. Peter Suciu, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Related: Juul agrees to pay $462 million to 6 states and D.C., and to share documents Supposedly impartial think tanks can become arms of corporations Think tanks have a reputation as impartial laboratories of policymaking. Nicholas Florko, STAT, 15 Feb. 2024 The mayor said that Gullo’s relationship with the City Council was not impartial or professional and that Gullo put the wishes of individual council members before the needs of the city. Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2024 Trump is not immune from prosecution in his 2020 election interference case, US appeals court says U.S. Supreme Court allows time for Colorado secretary of state during Trump ballot case arguments Opinion: Clarence Thomas can’t be impartial in Trump’s eligibility case. Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2024 As the jury forewoman, a hair stylist who had vowed to be fair and impartial, read the guilty verdicts one by one, Crumbley showed no emotion, but kept her head lowered, eyes closed and lips pursed. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2024 Their primary objective is to provide impartial guidance. Matthew Erskine, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 The guide also includes impartial ballot analyses of Alameda County ballot Measures A and B and Oakland Measure D. One-page explainers and short videos set out the pros and cons of each local measure and also of the one statewide measure. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2024 Refugee aid, and humanitarian aid more generally, is theoretically meant to be neutral and impartial. Kelsey Norman, The Conversation, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impartial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impartial was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near impartial

Cite this Entry

“Impartial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impartial. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

impartial

adjective
im·​par·​tial (ˈ)im-ˈpär-shəl How to pronounce impartial (audio)
: treating all equally : not partial
an impartial judge
impartiality noun
impartially adverb

Legal Definition

impartial

adjective
im·​par·​tial im-ˈpär-shəl How to pronounce impartial (audio)
: not partial or biased : treating or affecting all equally
impartiality noun
impartially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on impartial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!