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Showing results for impartial.
Synonyms

impartial

American  
[im-pahr-shuhl] / ɪmˈpɑr ʃəl /

adjective

  1. not partial or biased; fair; just.

    an impartial judge.

    Synonyms:
    equitable, unprejudiced, unbiased
    Antonyms:
    biased

impartial British  
/ ɪmˈpɑːʃəl /

adjective

  1. not prejudiced towards or against any particular side or party; fair; unbiased

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See fair 1.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of impartial

First recorded in 1585–95; im- 2 + partial

Explanation

If you're in a contest, you'd better hope the judges are impartial. That means that they aren't biased toward one competitor over another. If you’re partial to the color green, you love green and wear it all the time. If you’re impartial to colors, you don’t care what color you wear. To be impartial is to be objective, so you don’t mind one way or another how something is going to turn out. It’s important for jurors to be impartial when reaching a verdict, rather than allowing biases and preconceptions affect their judgment.

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Vocabulary lists containing impartial

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.

Punjab police said there was "absolutely no justification for deviating from our established protocols" and that it was conducting a "thorough and impartial investigation".

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

"Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury," the justices said.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

That would have shattered the plausibly impartial image that allowed Kelly her fantasy of legitimacy and a profitable future in traditional news.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

“The District follows established ... procedures, which are designed to ensure a fair, thorough, and impartial process for all parties,” officials said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

For the sake of clarity, you may be better off using impartial or neutral instead of disinterested. dived/dove.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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