impartial
im-PAR-shul
/ɪmˈpɑːrʃəl/
Treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just.
Impartiality suggests a conscious effort to set aside personal feelings or allegiances to ensure fairness, especially in judgment or decision-making.
The story behind the word. The word 'impartial' comes from the Latin prefix 'in-' meaning 'not' and 'partiālis,' meaning 'partial.' 'Partiālis' itself derives from 'pars,' meaning 'part.' So, to be 'impartial' literally means 'not taking a part' or 'not taking a side.' This perfectly captures the essence of fairness and unbiased judgment, where one doesn't favor any single 'part' of a dispute.
Word relationships
- unbiased: Free from bias; objective.
- neutral: Not supporting or helping either side in a conflict or disagreement.
- fair: Treating people equally without favoritism or discrimination.
- biased: Having or showing an unfair tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others.
- partial: Favoring one side in a dispute; biased.
- partisan: A strong supporter of a party, cause, or person; prejudiced in favor of a particular cause.
Commonly confused with
- neutral: Impartial implies active fairness in judgment, while neutral implies not taking a side, which can sometimes be passive.
Word family
- impartiality (noun): The quality of being impartial; fairness.
- impartially (adverb): In an impartial manner.
Collocations
- impartial judge
- impartial observer
- impartial advice
- impartial review
- remain impartial
Example sentences
- "A judge must remain impartial to ensure that justice is served fairly for all parties involved." Describing a judge's role.
- "The committee praised the news channel for its impartial coverage of the contentious political debate." Evaluating a news report.
Memory hook
An 'IMPARTIAL' person has 'IM-PART' (no part) in the argument, so they can judge fairly. No part, fair judge
When not to use
Do not use 'impartial' if there is a clear leaning or favoritism; in such cases, words like 'biased' or 'partial' would be more accurate.
Fun facts
- The concept of an 'impartial jury' is fundamental to many legal systems, ensuring a fair trial.
- In sports, referees and umpires are expected to be impartial, enforcing rules without favoritism.
Explore more words
impartiality, unbiased, neutral, neutrality, even-handed, nonpartisan
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