Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective impartial contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of impartial are dispassionate, equitable, fair, just, objective, and unbiased. While all these words mean "free from favor toward either or any side," impartial stresses an absence of favor or prejudice.

an impartial third party

When could dispassionate be used to replace impartial?

The synonyms dispassionate and impartial are sometimes interchangeable, but dispassionate suggests freedom from the influence of strong feeling and often implies cool or even cold judgment.

a dispassionate summation of the facts

How do equitable and just relate to one another, in the sense of impartial?

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

the equitable distribution of the property

In what contexts can fair take the place of impartial?

The words fair and impartial can be used in similar contexts, but fair implies a proper balance of conflicting interests.

a fair decision

When is just a more appropriate choice than impartial?

The words just and impartial are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, just implies an exact following of a standard of what is right and proper.

a just settlement of territorial claims

When would objective be a good substitute for impartial?

While in some cases nearly identical to impartial, 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 might unbiased be a better fit than impartial?

In some situations, the words unbiased and impartial are roughly equivalent. However, unbiased implies even more strongly an absence of all prejudice.

your unbiased opinion

Examples of impartial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The other side: Ahn said resonance can also bridge gaps between groups, and AI has the power to cut through the noise of misinformation by serving as an impartial fact-checker when wielded responsibly. Justin L. MacK, Axios, 24 Sep. 2024 Human Rights Watch has called for an immediate and impartial investigation into the incidents. Willem Marx, NPR, 20 Sep. 2024 Judge accepted the defense’s survey results showing that locals may not be impartial in the case. Cheri Mossburg, CNN, 9 Sep. 2024 Our responsibility as a news organization has been and will be to report on the incident with fair and impartial coverage. Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for impartial 

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.

Thesaurus Entries Near impartial

Cite this Entry

“Impartial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impartial. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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