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

• biasedly
  adverb
• nonbiased
  adjective

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."

Related Words

• partisan
• tendentious