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

Examples 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 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 The Focus Features release remains the director’s most commercially successful film despite being in some ways his most experimental: Haynes directly quotes the style of Douglas Sirk for a mannered — but never dispassionate — study of a pearl-clutching Connecticut town in the 1950s. Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dispassionate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispassionate
Adjective
  • Far from being an impartial steward of monetary policy, the Fed has routinely prioritized deficit spending and economic stimulus over sound money principles.
    Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The complaint says those actions have caused Combs economic and reputational harm, as well as tainted his right to a fair trial with an impartial jury.
    Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Leaders must prioritize governance frameworks that ensure AI systems are ethical, equitable, and transparent.
    Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Without equitable access, women were not able to fully participate in life outside the home.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • There are a few ways to make a saline solution; some doctors recommend equal parts of table salt and distilled water, while other recipes are more complex.
    Maya Dollarhide, Parents, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The result is that today Israel rules over populations of Palestinians and of Jewish Israelis that are almost equal in number but disturbingly skewed in terms of rights and wealth and outlook.
    Max Rodenbeck, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near dispassionate

Cite this Entry

“Dispassionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispassionate. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dispassionate

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