neutral

American  

[noo-truhl, nyoo-] / ˈnu trəl, ˈnju- /

adjective

1. not taking part or giving assistance in a dispute or war between others.

   Sweden was a neutral nation during World War II.

2. not aligned with or supporting any side or position in a controversy.

   The arbitrator was absolutely neutral.

   Synonyms:

   unbiased, uninvolved, dispassionate, disinterested, impartial

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. (of a color or shade)

   1. gray; without hue; of zero chroma; achromatic.

   2. matching well with many or most other colors or shades, as white or beige.

6. Botany, Zoology. neuter.

7. not causing or reflecting a change in something.

   It is believed that the new tax law will be revenue neutral.

8. Chemistry. exhibiting neither acid nor alkaline qualities.

   neutral salts.

9. Physics.

   1. (of a particle) having no charge.

   2. (of an atom, molecule, collection of particles, fluid, or solid) having no net charge; electroneutral; not electrified.

   3. not magnetized.

10. Phonetics. (of a vowel) pronounced with the tongue relaxed in a central position, as the a in alive; reduced.

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noun

• neutrals
  plural

1. a person or a nation that remains unaligned with any side, as in a controversy or war.

2. a citizen of a nation that does not join or support any side during a war.

3. Machinery, Automotive. the position or state of disengaged gears or other interconnecting parts.

   in neutral.

4. a neutral color.

neutral British  

/ ˈnjuːtrəl /

adjective

1. not siding with any party to a war or dispute

2. of, belonging to, or appropriate to a neutral party, country, etc

   neutral land

3. of no distinctive quality, characteristics, or type; indifferent

4. (of a colour such as white or black) having no hue; achromatic

5. (of a colour) dull, but harmonizing with most other colours

6. a less common term for neuter

7. chem neither acidic nor alkaline

8. physics having zero charge or potential

9. rare having no magnetism

10. 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

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noun

1. a neutral person, nation, etc

2. a citizen of a neutral state

3. the position of the controls of a gearbox that leaves the transmission disengaged

neutral Scientific  

/ no̅o̅′trəl /

1. Neither acid nor alkaline.

2. Having no inherent or net charge, especially electric charge.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antineutral
  adjective
• nonneutral
  adjective
• quasi-neutral
  adjective
• semineutral
  adjective
• unneutral
  adjective
• antineutrally
  adverb
• neutrally
  adverb
• nonneutrally
  adverb
• quasi-neutrally
  adverb
• unneutrally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• neutrals
  plural

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

Explanation

Commonly used to describe a person who doesn’t pick sides in disputes, neutral also pegs anything that refuses to be bold: the color beige, bland clothing, people with no preferences on where to eat for dinner. Being neutral sounds kind of boring. But neutrality is really important in some cases: Judges, for example, must remain totally neutral when hearing a case. Manners mavens say that it's best to remain neutral when topics like politics and religion come up during a party. And boxers can look to the neutral corners in the ring to escape a punch.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

neutral neutrals

A recent study in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies, titled "Three New Kings of Assyria," argues that the AKL may not be as complete or politically neutral as researchers once assumed.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

Parton was a virtuoso at staying, if not apolitical, at least a neutral zone of relatability for conservatives and leftists alike, each of whom had ways to read their lives into her storytelling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

But Avrotros said those changes "do not provide sufficient confidence that ‌the ⁠independent and neutral character of the Eurovision Song Contest has been restored."

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

It is an exchange, a neutral intermediary that never takes a side.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

“My taste buds are neutral territory, I swear.”

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

"Home clubs need to have a vibrant section to create an atmosphere but equally there are new fans, neutrals and families."

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Coastal homeowners are trading in breezy blues and sandy neutrals for a darker, moody palette.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

Beach-house owners are trading seaside clichés—white drywall, breezy blues, sandy neutrals, etc.—for bold interiors with darker tones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

In a landmark paper published in 2021, Pasqal researchers showed how neutrals atom could be scaled into larger systems.

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

She was sorting them into columns: Jack’s side; Julian’s side; neutrals.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

Related Words

• disinterested
• evenhanded
• fair-minded
• inactive
• indifferent
• nonaligned
• nonpartisan
• unbiased
• uncommitted
• undecided
• uninvolved