What does impartially mean?
Impartially means acting without bias, prejudice, or favouritism. It is used when describing the way a person, institution, or process makes a decision or treats competing parties. For example, a judge acts impartially when both sides receive equal attention and the law is applied without personal influence. The word is more formal than everyday alternatives such as fairly or without bias, and is especially frequent in legal, political, and workplace contexts. It emphasizes an absence of partiality rather than guaranteeing that every decision is correct. The adverb is formed from the adjective impartial, which in turn comes from the verb impart.
adverbIn an impartial or unbiased manner, without favouritism or prejudice toward either side.
- Without bias, prejudice, or favouritism; in a fair and neutral manner.
"The judge conducted the hearing impartially, giving each party an equal opportunity to present its case."
"The committee reviewed the applications impartially and selected the candidates according to the published criteria."
"She tried to assess the competing arguments impartially before offering her own opinion."
Acting impartially means leaving personal preference out of the equation, whether the decision concerns a courtroom, a workplace, or an everyday disagreement.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does impartially come from?
The word ultimately derives from Latin impartire, meaning “to impart” or “to communicate,” from in- and partire, associated with sharing or dividing. In English, impartial developed in the sense of “sharing equally,” then came to mean “free from bias or favouritism.” Impartially was formed in the 17th century from the adjective impartial and the suffix -ly.
Related word forms
How impartially is actually used
Impartially is formal and especially common in legal, political, institutional, and professional contexts. It describes conduct or decision-making that is free from partiality; it does not necessarily mean that the outcome is correct.