dispassionate
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dispassionate
First recorded in 1585–95; dis- 1 + passionate
Explanation
Dispassionate describes someone who is not getting carried away by — or maybe not even having — feelings. It's something you'd want to see in a surgeon, who keeps cool under pressure, but not in a romantic partner. Dispassionate is the opposite of passionate, and while passions are said to run "hot," dispassionate people are often described as "cold." Many people think that a judge should be dispassionate when deciding a case — unaffected by strong emotions or preconceived prejudices.
Vocabulary lists containing dispassionate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rather than reacting emotionally, though, those at the top have sought to address what has gone wrong with the help of thorough, dispassionate analysis.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
The cast is very good and the dialogue good enough, but because few of these characters are developed beyond a handful of identifying characteristics, it’s a generally cold, dispassionate watch.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
Only this wasn’t ER, and Dr. Weiner’s voice, dispassionate as he tried to make it, contained an unmistakable trace of actual human horror.
From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026
As dispassionate buyers who paid cash and didn’t quibble over ugly paint or dingy carpet, they beat out regular buyers without having to outbid them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026
A dispassionate white sun shone at the summit of the sky.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
