neutralize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make neutral; cause to undergo neutralization.
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to make (something) ineffective; counteract; nullify.
carelessness that neutralized our efforts.
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Military. to put out of action or make incapable of action.
to neutralize an enemy position.
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to declare neutral; invest with neutrality in order to exempt from involvement during a war.
to neutralize a city to prevent bombing.
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to add an acid to a basic solution or a base to an acidic solution until the resulting solution is chemically neutral (pH = 7).
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Electricity. to render electrically or magnetically neutral.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(also intr) to render or become ineffective or neutral by counteracting, mixing, etc; nullify
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(also intr) to make or become electrically or chemically neutral
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to exclude (a country) from the sphere of warfare or alliances by international agreement
the great powers neutralized Belgium in the 19th century
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to render (an army) incapable of further military action
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unneutralizeverb (used with object)
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reneutralizeverb
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overneutralizeverb (used with object)
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neutralizernoun
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overneutralizernoun
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neutralizationnoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has neutralizedperfect 3rd person singular
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have neutralizedperfect
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is neutralizingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are neutralizingprogressive
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neutralizessingular 3rd person
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am neutralizingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been neutralizingperfect progressive
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neutralizingparticiple
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has been neutralizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had neutralizedperfect
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had been neutralizingperfect progressive
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were neutralizingprogressive plural
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neutralizedparticiple
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neutralizedsimple
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was neutralizingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of neutralize
Explanation
When you neutralize something, you make it harmless or ineffective — usually by applying its opposite force, like pouring water on a fire. The world neutral was first used to describe a country that doesn’t take sides in a war, like Switzerland. There’s something kind of noble about a country that doesn’t participate in war by choice, but when we say something has been neutralized — that usually means that its power has been taken away from the outside.
Vocabulary lists containing neutralize
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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Code Talker
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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.
However, Zeldin said "the most likely scenario is one of a low-volume release, where the local authorities are going to be able to monitor, neutralize and contain the threat."
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
A little-known investing formula shows exactly how long to hold bonds to neutralize interest-rate hikes.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Of the three tanks with the toxic chemical, crews were able to add a chemical to one tank to neutralize its volatility, Covey said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
People making $50,000 or less could find their income growth falling behind inflation, while price increases could neutralize the pay gains for households in the $50,000 to $100,000 range, Long said.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
In the crucial years, the fact that the Party was not a hereditary body did a great deal to neutralize opposition.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
