Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dispassionate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dispassionate are equitable, fair, impartial, just, objective, and unbiased. While all these words mean "free from favor toward either or any side," dispassionate suggests freedom from the influence of strong feeling and often implies cool or even cold judgment.

a dispassionate summation of the facts

How are the words equitable and just related as synonyms of dispassionate?

Equitable implies a less rigorous standard than just and usually suggests equal treatment of all concerned.

the equitable distribution of the property

When is it sensible to use fair instead of dispassionate?

The words fair and dispassionate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fair implies a proper balance of conflicting interests.

a fair decision

When could impartial be used to replace dispassionate?

The meanings of impartial and dispassionate largely overlap; however, impartial stresses an absence of favor or prejudice.

an impartial third party

Where would just be a reasonable alternative to dispassionate?

In some situations, the words just and dispassionate are roughly equivalent. However, just implies an exact following of a standard of what is right and proper.

a just settlement of territorial claims

When is objective a more appropriate choice than dispassionate?

While in some cases nearly identical to dispassionate, 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

When would unbiased be a good substitute for dispassionate?

While the synonyms unbiased and dispassionate are close in meaning, unbiased implies even more strongly an absence of all prejudice.

your unbiased opinion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dispassionate However, a dispassionate parting doesn’t suit characters who have often worked so hard just to display any feelings at all. Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 7 July 2025 The challenge for both author and museum was telling a rich wartime story without reducing it to the dispassionate details of a military reenactment. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025 With both energy and water being indispensable commodities for future growth of these two societies, hope springs eternal that cooler, more dispassionate heads will eventually prevail and these two nuclear powers will cooperate for the benefit of the entire region. Daniel Markind, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 Given its clever production and Stoltenberg’s consciously dispassionate vocals, Big City Life could easily come across as forbiddingly cool. Liam Hess, Vogue, 24 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for dispassionate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispassionate
Adjective
  • The vice president would have been better advised to stand for fair and impartial maps in the Hoosier State and beyond.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
  • The debate over whether algorithms can ever be truly impartial has been simmering for years; what’s new is the urgency to move from philosophical musing to enforceable standards.
    Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s the person who can integrate diverse expertise, promote equitable contributions, and cultivate trust.
    Jamil Zaki, Harvard Business Review, 15 Aug. 2025
  • School funding was made more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing state revenue on those needs, the release said.
    Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • There's another pathway of equal concern, Brown said.
    Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The price cap was rolled out to equal parts skepticism and hopefulness that the policy would stave off Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
    Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dispassionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispassionate. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dispassionate

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