neutralize

[ noo-truh-lahyz, nyoo- ]
See synonyms for: neutralizeneutralizedneutralizingneutralizer on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),neu·tral·ized, neu·tral·iz·ing.
  1. to make neutral; cause to undergo neutralization.

  2. to make (something) ineffective; counteract; nullify: carelessness that neutralized our efforts.

  1. Military. to put out of action or make incapable of action: to neutralize an enemy position.

  2. to declare neutral; invest with neutrality in order to exempt from involvement during a war: to neutralize a city to prevent bombing.

  3. to add an acid to a basic solution or a base to an acidic solution until the resulting solution is chemically neutral (pH = 7).

  4. Electricity. to render electrically or magnetically neutral.

verb (used without object),neu·tral·ized, neu·tral·iz·ing.
  1. to become neutral or neutralized; undergo neutralization: With this additive the solution begins to neutralize.

Origin of neutralize

1
First recorded in 1655–65; neutral + -ize
  • Also especially British, neu·tral·ise .

Other words from neutralize

  • neu·tral·iz·er, noun
  • o·ver·neu·tral·ize, verb (used with object), o·ver·neu·tral·ized, o·ver·neu·tral·iz·ing.
  • o·ver·neu·tral·iz·er, noun
  • re·neu·tral·ize, verb, re·neu·tral·ized, re·neu·tral·iz·ing.
  • un·neu·tral·ize, verb (used with object), un·neu·tral·ized, un·neu·tral·iz·ing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use neutralize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for neutralize

neutralize

neutralise

/ (ˈnjuːtrəˌlaɪz) /


verb(mainly tr)
  1. (also intr) to render or become ineffective or neutral by counteracting, mixing, etc; nullify

  2. (also intr) to make or become electrically or chemically neutral

  1. to exclude (a country) from the sphere of warfare or alliances by international agreement: the great powers neutralized Belgium in the 19th century

  2. to render (an army) incapable of further military action

Derived forms of neutralize

  • neutralization or neutralisation, noun
  • neutralizer or neutraliser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for neutralize

neutralize

[ nōōtrə-līz′ ]


  1. To cause an acidic solution to become neutral by adding a base to it or to cause a basic solution to become neutral by adding an acid to it. Salt and water are usually formed in the process.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.