Impartial: not favouring one side
Impartial describes a judgment or person that does not favour one side over another. It combines the negative prefix im- with partial, meaning biased in this use. An impartial competition judge applies the same published criteria to every entry, including an entry submitted by someone they know.
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The same basis for judgment
Impartial is an adjective meaning not biased towards a particular person or side. It is formed from the negative prefix im- and partial, which can mean favouring one side.
In a competition, an impartial judge assesses entries using the relevant criteria rather than personal connections. Impartiality concerns the basis of the judgment; it does not require every entrant to receive the same score.
- An impartial review considers the evidence fairly.
- An impartial observer does not take a participant's side.
Avoid confusing impartial with indifferent. A judge can care deeply about a fair result while remaining impartial. An indifferent observer may simply have little interest in what happens, which says nothing about the fairness of their assessment.