Neutral

/ˈnjuː.tɹəl/ · adjective

Meaning

(politics) Not taking sides in a conflict such as war; nonaligned..

Definitions by Sense

1. (politics) Not taking sides in a conflict such as war; nonaligned.
2. Favoring neither the supporting nor opposing viewpoint of a topic of debate; unbiased.
3. Neither positive nor negative.
4. (psychology) Not biased; viewing situations objectively in a way that is neither positive nor negative.
5. Neither beneficial nor harmful.
6. (biology) Having no sex; neuter.
7. Having no obvious colour; gray.
8. (physics) Neither positive nor negative; possessing no charge or equivalent positive and negative charge such that there is no imbalance.

Example Sentences

I am neutral regarding the issue of gay marriage.

The heart can not possibly remain neutral, but constantly takes part one way or the other.

a neutral person

Some things good, and some things ill, do seem, And neutral some, in her fantastic eye.

Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…] The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation,[…] In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. These rarities may be new mutations, or they can be existing ones that are neutral—or are even selected against—in a wild population. A good example is mutations that disrupt seed dispersal, leaving the seeds on the heads long after they are ripe.

They say in Harlan County There are no neutrals there You'll either be a union man Or a thug for J.H. Blair.

Near-synonym: angel gear (humorous)

Put it in neutral, and we'll push it out of the garage.

Synonyms for neutral

Antonyms for neutral

Related Words

Word Forms

• more neutral
• most neutral
• neutrals

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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