neutral

[ noo-truhl, nyoo- ]

/ ˈnu trəl, ˈnyu- /

adjective

not taking part or giving assistance in a dispute or war between others: a neutral nation during World War II.

not aligned with or supporting any side or position in a controversy: The arbitrator was absolutely neutral.

of or belonging to a neutral state or party: neutral territory.

of no particular kind, characteristics, etc.; indefinite: a neutral personality that made no impression whatever; a sex-neutral job title.

(of a color or shade)

gray; without hue; of zero chroma; achromatic.
matching well with many or most other colors or shades, as white or beige.

Botany, Zoology. neuter.

not causing or reflecting a change in something: It is believed that the new tax law will be revenue neutral.

Chemistry. exhibiting neither acid nor alkaline qualities: neutral salts.

Physics.

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

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

noun

a person or a nation that remains neutral, as in a controversy or war.

a citizen of a neutral nation during a war.

Machinery, Automotive. the position or state of disengaged gears or other interconnecting parts: in neutral.

a neutral color.

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Origin of neutral

1400–50; late Middle English <Latin neutrālis grammatically neuter. See neuter, -al¹

SYNONYMS FOR neutral

2 impartial, disinterested, dispassionate, uninvolved, unbiased.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR neutral

OTHER WORDS FROM neutral

neu·tral·ly, adverban·ti·neu·tral, adjective, nounan·ti·neu·tral·ly, adverbnon·neu·tral, adjective, noun

non·neu·tral·ly, adverbquasi-neutral, adjectivequa·si-neu·tral·ly, adverbsem·i·neu·tral, adjectiveun·neu·tral, adjectiveun·neu·tral·ly, adverb

Words nearby neutral

Neustrian, neut., neuter, neutercane, Neutra, neutral, neutral axis, neutral corner, neutral density, neutral ground, neutralism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for neutral

A key principle of Wikipedia was that articles should have a neutral point of view.
You Can Look It Up: The Wikipedia Story|Walter Isaacson|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The U.N. agency that runs schools and hospitals in Gaza is supposed to be neutral.
Did the United Nations Give Rockets to Hamas?|Josh Rogin|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Putin preys on the fact that the West thinks money and sport are neutral, or at least civilizing influences.
Best Way to Punish Putin? No World Cup|Tunku Varadarajan|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like African-American civil rights leaders, they have made not just a neutral case but a positive moral case for equality.
Ten Reasons Women Are Losing While Gays Keep Winning|Jay Michaelson|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It is not even that neutral observers were, by the end, rooting for the same, cynical Italy.
Luis Suarez, Uruguay’s Notorious Soccer Vampire, Strikes Again—Biting Italian in World Cup Win|Tunku Varadarajan|June 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then there were long strings of neutral days when you did not think well of life, or ill of it.
Steel|Charles Rumford Walker
To him Agno was a neutral sort of person, a person who did not count.
Jerry of the Islands|Jack London
This new principle of international law related to the rights of merchant vessels belonging to neutral powers in time of war.
The American Revolution|John Fiske
When the weather is dull, the Normans have a sober English sky, abounding in Indian ink and neutral tint.
Account of a Tour in Normandy, Vol. I. (of 2)|Dawson Turner
I suffered the fate of most neutral powers, and succeeded in arousing the suspicions of both belligerents.
The Sixth Sense|Stephen McKenna

British Dictionary definitions for neutral

neutral

/ (ˈnjuːtrəl) /

adjective

not siding with any party to a war or dispute

of, belonging to, or appropriate to a neutral party, country, etcneutral land

of no distinctive quality, characteristics, or type; indifferent

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

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

a less common term for neuter (def. 2)

chem neither acidic nor alkaline

physics having zero charge or potential

rare having no magnetism

phonetics (of a vowel) articulated with the tongue relaxed in mid-central position and the lips midway between spread and roundedthe word ``about'' begins with a neutral vowel

noun

a neutral person, nation, etc

a citizen of a neutral state

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

Derived forms of neutral

neutrally, adverb

Word Origin for neutral

C16: from Latin neutrālis; see neuter

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

Medical definitions for neutral

neutral

[ nōō′trəl ]

adj.

Belonging to neither kind; not one thing or the other; indifferent.

Of or relating to a solution or compound that is neither acidic nor alkaline.

Of or relating to a compound that does not ionize in solution.

Of or relating to a particle, object, or system that has a net electric charge of zero.

Scientific definitions for neutral

neutral

[ nōō′trəl ]

Neither acid nor alkaline.

Having no inherent or net charge, especially electric charge.

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adjective

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MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

neutral

adjective

noun

QUIZZES

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Origin of neutral

SYNONYMS FOR neutral

OTHER WORDS FROM neutral

Words nearby neutral

Words related to neutral

Example sentences from the Web for neutral

British Dictionary definitions for neutral

adjective

noun

Derived forms of neutral

Word Origin for neutral

Medical definitions for neutral

adj.

Scientific definitions for neutral