IMPARTIAL

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does impartial mean? 

• IMPARTIAL (adjective)
  The adjective IMPARTIAL has 2 senses:

1. showing lack of favoritism

2. free from undue bias or preconceived opinions

  Familiarity information: IMPARTIAL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMPARTIAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Showing lack of favoritism

Context example:

the cold neutrality of an impartial judge

Similar:

disinterested (unaffected by self-interest)

cold-eyed; dispassionate (unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice)

indifferent; unbiased; unbiassed (characterized by a lack of partiality)

indifferent (marked by no especial liking or dislike or preference for one thing over another)

Also:

fair; just (free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules)

Antonym:

partial (showing favoritism)

Derivation:

impartiality (an inclination to weigh both views or opinions equally)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Free from undue bias or preconceived opinions

Synonyms:

impartial; unprejudiced

Context example:

the impartial eye of a scientist

Similar:

color-blind; colour-blind; nonracist (unprejudiced about race)

Also:

open; receptive (ready or willing to receive favorably)

Derivation:

impartiality (an inclination to weigh both views or opinions equally)

 Context examples 

I think it would be acknowledged by the most impartial eye to have many recommendations.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

It will be a great help to have cool, impartial persons take a look at it, and tell me what they think of it.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

It is impossible for me to be impartial.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

I was not quite impartial in my judgment, Emma:—but yet, I think—had you not been in the case—I should still have distrusted him.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Could it be an impartial one?

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

He speedily learned that Perrault and François were fair men, calm and impartial in administering justice, and too wise in the way of dogs to be fooled by dogs.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

An impartial group that oversees a clinical trial and reviews the results to see if they are acceptable.

(Data and Safety Monitoring Board, NCI Dictionary)

In the calmness of her own dressing-room, in the impartial flow of her own meditations, unbiassed by his bewildering statements, she could not acknowledge any necessity for Fanny's ever going near a father and mother who had done without her so long, while she was so useful to herself.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

But my feelings are not only cordial towards him; they are even impartial towards Miss King.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

But as it was not to be supposed that Captain Tilney, whenever he made his application, would give his father any just idea of Isabella's conduct, it occurred to her as highly expedient that Henry should lay the whole business before him as it really was, enabling the general by that means to form a cool and impartial opinion, and prepare his objections on a fairer ground than inequality of situations.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)