completely fair and not taking sides

impartial

adjective|/ɪmˈpɑːr.ʃəl/

Fair and unbiased; not favoring one side

Examples

In a meeting

We need an impartial third party to mediate this dispute.

Over coffee

Can you give me an impartial opinion on which apartment is better?

Why this word

fair

impartial specifically means without bias or favoritism, while fair is general equitable treatment

neutral

impartial emphasizes judging without prejudice, while neutral means not taking sides

objective

impartial focuses on treating all sides equally, while objective means based on facts not feelings

Usage tip

Use when objectivity and neutrality are essential to the situation

Etymology

Latin: in- (not) + partialis (partial) from pars (part) — 'not taking a part/side'

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