neutral
Americanadjective
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not taking part or giving assistance in a dispute or war between others.
Sweden was a neutral nation during World War II.
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not aligned with or supporting any side or position in a controversy.
The arbitrator was absolutely neutral.
- Synonyms:
- unbiased, uninvolved, dispassionate, disinterested, impartial
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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.
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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.
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(of a color or shade)
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gray; without hue; of zero chroma; achromatic.
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matching well with many or most other colors or shades, as white or beige.
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Botany, Zoology. neuter.
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not causing or reflecting a change in something.
It is believed that the new tax law will be revenue neutral.
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Chemistry. exhibiting neither acid nor alkaline qualities.
neutral salts.
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Physics.
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(of a particle) having no charge.
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(of an atom, molecule, collection of particles, fluid, or solid) having no net charge; electroneutral; not electrified.
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not magnetized.
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Phonetics. (of a vowel) pronounced with the tongue relaxed in a central position, as the a in alive; reduced.
noun
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a person or a nation that remains unaligned with any side, as in a controversy or war.
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a citizen of a nation that does not join or support any side during a war.
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Machinery, Automotive. the position or state of disengaged gears or other interconnecting parts.
in neutral.
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a neutral color.
adjective
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not siding with any party to a war or dispute
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of, belonging to, or appropriate to a neutral party, country, etc
neutral land
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of no distinctive quality, characteristics, or type; indifferent
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(of a colour such as white or black) having no hue; achromatic
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(of a colour) dull, but harmonizing with most other colours
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a less common term for neuter
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chem neither acidic nor alkaline
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physics having zero charge or potential
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rare having no magnetism
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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
noun
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a neutral person, nation, etc
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a citizen of a neutral state
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the position of the controls of a gearbox that leaves the transmission disengaged
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Neither acid nor alkaline.
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Having no inherent or net charge, especially electric charge.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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antineutraladjective
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nonneutraladjective
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quasi-neutraladjective
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semineutraladjective
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unneutraladjective
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antineutrallyadverb
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neutrallyadverb
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nonneutrallyadverb
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quasi-neutrallyadverb
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unneutrallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing neutral
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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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.
See Examples For:
Platt said these barriers are not spoken about enough, saying that as a working class woman from Salford, she had also felt pressure to speak with a more neutral accent.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Instead, his all-conquering road trip has been stuck in neutral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Susquehanna analyst James Friedman, who has a neutral rating on IBM’s stock, said the increase in allocation of tech budgets toward hardware is “crowding out” spending in other areas of tech.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
According to the poll of nearly 1,300 U.S. adults, only 12% of respondents favored the current system, while 47% were opposed and 40% were neutral.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Then he threw the boat in neutral and came back toward me.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Even the neutrals had been swept up in the occasion - by full-time, many were celebrating too.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 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
"That was some game. It would have been great for the neutrals," Townsend told the BBC.
From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026
She was sorting them into columns: Jack’s side; Julian’s side; neutrals.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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.
