Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dispassionate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dispassionate are equitable, fair, impartial, just, objective, and unbiased. While all these words mean "free from favor toward either or any side," dispassionate suggests freedom from the influence of strong feeling and often implies cool or even cold judgment.

a dispassionate summation of the facts

How are the words equitable and just related as synonyms of dispassionate?

Equitable implies a less rigorous standard than just and usually suggests equal treatment of all concerned.

the equitable distribution of the property

When is it sensible to use fair instead of dispassionate?

The words fair and dispassionate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fair implies a proper balance of conflicting interests.

a fair decision

When could impartial be used to replace dispassionate?

The meanings of impartial and dispassionate largely overlap; however, impartial stresses an absence of favor or prejudice.

an impartial third party

Where would just be a reasonable alternative to dispassionate?

In some situations, the words just and dispassionate are roughly equivalent. However, just implies an exact following of a standard of what is right and proper.

a just settlement of territorial claims

When is objective a more appropriate choice than dispassionate?

While in some cases nearly identical to dispassionate, objective stresses a tendency to view events or persons as apart from oneself and one's own interest or feelings.

I can't be objective about my own child

When would unbiased be a good substitute for dispassionate?

While the synonyms unbiased and dispassionate are close in meaning, unbiased implies even more strongly an absence of all prejudice.

your unbiased opinion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dispassionate Writers’ obsessions can illuminate their subjects in ways that more dispassionate approaches can’t. Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024 David Hume chimed in, two centuries later, to argue that judgments of right and wrong emanate from emotion and social conditioning, not the dispassionate application of reason. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024 Her protagonist, Sadie Smith, is another dispassionate observer, but one who appears to have far more independence and agency than her predecessors. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2024 The resulting video showed millions of non-Latino Americans what has made Ramos a star: an ability to seem like both a dispassionate arbiter of the news and an outspoken proxy for his viewers. Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for dispassionate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispassionate
Adjective
  • The federal courts must push back to protect the application of impartial justice.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2025
  • Civil rights groups on Friday urged Trump to appoint an impartial leader to head the nation's largest statistical agency, while some fellow researchers said Santos' decision was a sad one for the future of the U.S. Census.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Provide a solid mix of informal and formal mentorship programs for a work culture that empowers employees and creates a more equitable and fulfilling workplace for all.
    Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The mission of the foundation is to open doors, break barriers and build a more equitable, inclusive industry for creatives of color, all in pursuit of this limitless future that Virgil believed so deeply in.
    Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • If energy production increases, that may, all else equal, bring the price of oil and gas down, which is an input costs to many products and services.
    Simon Moore, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
  • Available in panes of 20, the stamps — which never expire — will always retain a value equal to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
    Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dispassionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispassionate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dispassionate

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