Meaning & use
unbiased
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Not favoring one side over another, but judging fairly on the evidence.
Grammar: Goes before a noun or after be: an unbiased referee, the report is unbiased.
Patterns
- be unbiased about something
- an unbiased view of something
The judge must be unbiased when hearing the case.
We asked an unbiased expert to review the plan.
She gave an unbiased account of the dispute.
adjectivenot comparabletechnicalmathematics
In statistics, describing an estimate or sample that does not lean systematically above or below the true value.
Grammar: Technical use, usually before a noun: an unbiased estimator.
Patterns
- an unbiased estimate
The sample mean is an unbiased estimator of the population mean.
Random selection gives an unbiased sample.
The test was designed to be unbiased across groups.
Word forms
| comparative | more unbiased |
|---|---|
| superlative | most unbiased |
Common combinations
- unbiased opinion
- I want an unbiased opinion before I decide.
- unbiased reporting
- The network is known for unbiased reporting.
- completely unbiased
- No human is completely unbiased.
- unbiased sample
- The survey used an unbiased sample.
- unbiased judge
- An unbiased judge listened to both sides.
Synonyms and how they differ
- impartial
- Impartial is more formal and is the usual word for judges and referees, whereas unbiased is more general.
- neutral
- Neutral means taking no side at all, while unbiased means judging fairly even when you do take a view.
- objective
- Objective stresses basing judgment on facts, while unbiased stresses lack of favoritism.
- fair
- Fair is the simple everyday word, and unbiased is more specific about avoiding prejudice.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: unbiased or uninterested?
unbiased vs uninterested
Uninterested means not curious or not caring, while unbiased means fair and not taking sides.
Practice
The panel hired an ___ expert who had no financial links to either company.
Choose one answer.
Unbiased means fair and without favoritism toward either side. Uninterested means bored or not caring, which is a tempting but wrong fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unbiased”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.