neutral
Americanadjective
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not taking part or giving assistance in a dispute or war between others.
Sweden was a neutral nation during World War II.
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not aligned with or supporting any side or position in a controversy.
The arbitrator was absolutely neutral.
- Synonyms:
- unbiased, uninvolved, dispassionate, disinterested, impartial
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of or belonging to a state or party that is not taking part or giving assistance in a dispute.
Troops cannot be recruited from neutral territory.
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of no particular kind, characteristics, etc.; indefinite (sometimes used in combination): The awards show has announced a new gender-neutral acting category alongside its longstanding Best Actress and Best Actor ones.
She had a neutral personality that made no impression whatever.
The awards show has announced a new gender-neutral acting category alongside its longstanding Best Actress and Best Actor ones.
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(of a color or shade)
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gray; without hue; of zero chroma; achromatic.
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matching well with many or most other colors or shades, as white or beige.
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Botany, Zoology. neuter.
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not causing or reflecting a change in something.
It is believed that the new tax law will be revenue neutral.
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Chemistry. exhibiting neither acid nor alkaline qualities.
neutral salts.
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Physics.
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(of a particle) having no charge.
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(of an atom, molecule, collection of particles, fluid, or solid) having no net charge; electroneutral; not electrified.
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not magnetized.
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Phonetics. (of a vowel) pronounced with the tongue relaxed in a central position, as the a in alive; reduced.
noun
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a person or a nation that remains unaligned with any side, as in a controversy or war.
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a citizen of a nation that does not join or support any side during a war.
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Machinery, Automotive. the position or state of disengaged gears or other interconnecting parts.
in neutral.
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a neutral color.
adjective
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not siding with any party to a war or dispute
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of, belonging to, or appropriate to a neutral party, country, etc
neutral land
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of no distinctive quality, characteristics, or type; indifferent
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(of a colour such as white or black) having no hue; achromatic
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(of a colour) dull, but harmonizing with most other colours
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a less common term for neuter
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chem neither acidic nor alkaline
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physics having zero charge or potential
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rare having no magnetism
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phonetics (of a vowel) articulated with the tongue relaxed in mid-central position and the lips midway between spread and rounded
the word ``about'' begins with a neutral vowel
noun
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a neutral person, nation, etc
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a citizen of a neutral state
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the position of the controls of a gearbox that leaves the transmission disengaged
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Neither acid nor alkaline.
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Having no inherent or net charge, especially electric charge.
Other Word Forms
- antineutral adjective
- antineutrally adverb
- neutrally adverb
- nonneutral adjective
- nonneutrally adverb
- quasi-neutral adjective
- quasi-neutrally adverb
- semineutral adjective
- unneutral adjective
- unneutrally adverb
Etymology
Origin of neutral
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin neutrālis “grammatically neuter,” from neutr- (stem of neuter neuter ( def. ) ) + -ālis -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When demand is inelastic and the social value of consumption is neutral or positive, it doesn’t pay to enforce prohibition.
A day after the vote, Miles told BBC Wales he "didn't contribute to the pros and cons in the debate because the government's position on the bill is neutral".
From BBC
Governor Cook noted AI could cause job displacement before creation, and strong AI investment may imply a higher neutral rate.
From Barron's
Sebastian himself has a neutral rating on PayPal’s stock, lamenting some strategic choices that failed to pan out, in his view.
From MarketWatch
Each of the other nine indicators featured in the table are at or close to higher levels than ever — meaning nine of the 10 are in “sell” territory while one is neutral.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
