unbiased

American  

[uhn-bahy-uhst] / ʌnˈbaɪ əst /

especially British, unbiassed

adjective

1. not biased or prejudiced; fair; impartial.

   Synonyms:

   neutral, tolerant, equitable, fair

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unbiased British  

/ ʌnˈbaɪəst /

adjective

1. having no bias or prejudice; fair or impartial

2. statistics

   1. (of a sample) not affected by any extraneous factors, conflated variables, or selectivity which influence its distribution; random

   2. (of an estimator) having an expected value equal to the parameter being estimated; having zero bias

   3. Also called: discriminatory.  (of a significance test). Having a power greater than the predetermined significance level

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Other Word Forms

• unbiasedly
  adverb
• unbiasedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of unbiased

First recorded in 1600–10; un- ¹ + biased

Explanation

To be unbiased, you have to be 100% fair — you can't have a favorite, or opinions that would color your judgment. For example, to make things as unbiased as possible, judges of an art contest didn't see the artists' names or the names of their schools and hometowns. You are unbiased if you can assess situations with a completely open mind. The root of unbiased is bias, which probably comes from the Greek word epikarsios, meaning “athwart,” “crosswise,” or “oblique.” When you have a bias, you look at the situation “from the side,” such as the side of someone who personally hates seafood telling you that Lobster Larry's is a terrible restaurant. To be unbiased you don't have biases affecting you; you are impartial and would probably make a good judge.

Example Sentences

Priorities are addressing case backlogs and making thoughtful, unbiased decisions.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

After staffing up with local-news veterans and formally overhauling WGN America’s branding, NewsNation launched to the United States in March 2021 as “the destination for fact-based, unbiased news,” per Compton’s pitch.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

The women who come to Herbst’s group are looking for unbiased advice — real answers from people who are not selling anything.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

To ensure accurate and unbiased results, we conduct our speed and streaming tests in various locations, starting in Canada itself, before expanding to the U.S. and other regions.

From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026

That I am built to be an unbiased observer.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

• disinterested
• dispassionate
• equitable
• honest
• impartial
• neutral
• nonpartisan
• open-minded