bias

¹ American  

[bahy-uhs] / ˈbaɪ əs /

noun

1. a particular tendency, trend, inclination, feeling, or opinion, especially one that is preconceived or unreasoned.

   The hiring manager was found to have shown bias against job applicants who wore less expensive clothing.

   The magazine’s bias is toward art rather than photography.

   We need to set aside our strong bias in favor of the idea and evaluate it logically.

   Synonyms:

   leaning, bent, proclivity, partiality, predilection, preconception, predisposition

   Antonyms:

   impartiality

2. unreasonably hostile feelings or opinions about a social group; prejudice.

   The show’s host has faced accusations of racial bias.

3. an oblique or diagonal line of direction, especially across a woven fabric.

4. Statistics. a systematic as opposed to random distortion of a statistic as a result of sampling procedure.

5. Electronics. the application of a steady voltage or current to an active device, such as a diode or transistor, to produce a desired mode of operation.

6. a high-frequency alternating current applied to the recording head of a tape recorder during recording in order to reduce distortion.

7. Lawn Bowling.

   1. a slight bulge or greater weight on one side of the ball or bowl.

   2. the curved course made by such a ball when rolled.

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adjective

1. cut, set, folded, etc., diagonally.

   This material requires a bias cut.

   I used bias binding to finish the garment.

adverb

1. in a diagonal manner; obliquely; slantingly.

   Cut your material bias for extra stretch.

verb (used with object)

biased, biasing, biassed, biassing

1. to cause to hold or exhibit a particular bias; to influence, especially unfairly.

   The defendant gave a tearful plea designed to bias the jury.

   The survey was heavily biased toward highly educated people.

   Synonyms:

   bend, predispose, dispose, incline

2. Electronics. to apply a steady voltage or current to (the input of an active device).

idioms

1. on the bias,

   1. in the diagonal direction of the cloth.

      Many of her designs were cut on the bias, making the fabric soft and fluid.

   2. out of line; slanting.

Bias ² American  

[bahy-uhs] / ˈbaɪ əs /

noun

1. flourished 570 b.c., Greek philosopher, born in Ionia.

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bias British  

/ ˈbaɪəs /

noun

1. mental tendency or inclination, esp an irrational preference or prejudice

2. a diagonal line or cut across the weave of a fabric

3. electronics the voltage applied to an electronic device or system to establish suitable working conditions

4. bowls

   1. a bulge or weight inside one side of a bowl

   2. the curved course of such a bowl on the green

5. statistics

   1. an extraneous latent influence on, unrecognized conflated variable in, or selectivity in a sample which influences its distribution and so renders it unable to reflect the desired population parameters

   2. if T is an estimator of the parameter θ , the expected value of ( T–θ )

6. an inaudible high-frequency signal used to improve the quality of a tape recording

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adjective

1. slanting obliquely; diagonal

   a bias fold

adverb

1. obliquely; diagonally

verb

1. (usually passive) to cause to have a bias; prejudice; influence

Usage

Plural word for bias The plural form of bias is biases, pronounced [ bahy-uhs-eez ] or [ bahy-uhs-ehz ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -s are also formed this way, including alias/aliases, moss/mosses, and lens/lenses. However, bias is often used as a mass noun, meaning that in some instances bias may be used as either a singular or a plural form. The plural form biasses is obsolete and should be avoided.

Related Words

Bias, prejudice mean a strong inclination of the mind or a preconceived opinion about something or someone. A bias may be favorable or unfavorable: bias in favor of or against an idea. Prejudice implies a preformed judgment even more unreasoning than bias, and usually implies an unfavorable opinion: prejudice against people of another religion.

Other Word Forms

• biased adjective
• subbias noun
• superbias noun

Etymology

Origin of bias

First recorded in 1520–30; from Middle French biais “obliqueness,” from Old Provençal, probably from Vulgar Latin (e)bigassius (unrecorded), from Greek epikársios “oblique,” from epi- epi- + -karsios “oblique”; alternatively, from Vulgar Latin biaxius (unrecorded) “having two axes” ( bi-, axis )

Explanation

Use the noun bias to mean a preference for one thing over another, especially an unfair one. Some biases are completely innocent: "I have a bias toward French wines." But most often, bias is used to describe unfair prejudices: "The authorities investigated a case involving bias against Latinos." It is also a verb meaning "to show prejudice for or against," as in "They claimed the tests were biased against women." (In British English, it takes an extra S in the forms biassed and biassing.) The word goes back at least to Old Provençal, a former language of southern France, in association with the sport of lawn bowling, where it referred to the tendency of a ball to roll in one direction or the other.

Example Sentences

But there appears to be confirmation bias here.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Their motive, she claims, was discriminatory bias and a piece of legislation she wrote that law enforcement agencies did not like.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The tumultuous developments are keeping Asian currencies under pressure while "reinforcing a bias toward USD strength", Chan wrote.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

And there’s something playful about examining the birth of the U.S.—or the “United Provinces of America,” as our early ally Louis XVI put it—from an English perspective, even if Ms. Worsley avoids any pro-Brit bias.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

His sympathy for either side was a bias for one.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Related Words

• bigotry
• favoritism
• inclination
• intolerance
• leaning
• preconceived idea
• preconceived notion
• preconceived opinion
• preference
• prejudgment
• prejudice
• tendency
• tilt
• unfairness