Showing Results for "biased"

See Also:

• past participle of bias.
• past tense form of bias.

biased

American  

[bahy-uhst] / ˈbaɪ əst /

especially British, biassed

adjective

1. having or showing bias or prejudice.

   They gave us a biased report on immigration trends.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonbiased
  adjective
• biasedly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of biased

First recorded in 1605–15; bias + -ed ²

Explanation

When a skirt is cut at an angle, with one side higher than the other, it has a bias cut. Being biased is kind of lopsided too: a biased person favors one side or issue over another. While biased can just mean having a preference for one thing over another, it also is synonymous with "prejudiced," and that prejudice can be taken to the extreme. Sometimes a person is so biased, or is leaning so far in one direction, that it's hard to see the other position, creating unfairness in an argument or decision. Often, though, it's used more lightly: "My mom makes the best brownies in the world, but I might be a little biased."

Example Sentences

Excluding both equally would have biased the trend in inflation upward.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

The problem is that, with time, the scales of common sense can become biased, as Linda Goodman’s life shows, and Evangeline Adams’ clients learned, perhaps too late.

From Slate • May 5, 2026

Studies have shown that industry-funded science tends to be biased in favor of the sponsor’s products.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

“Most judges are good, but too many of them are biased either toward the prosecution or the defense,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

To my admittedly biased eye, the book’s central message has survived well, and the most interesting developments since its publication have involved four extensions of the story to the modern world and to recent history.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• partisan
• tendentious