Main Entry:

neu·tral·ize

Pronunciation:

\ˈnü-trə-ˌlīz, ˈnyü-\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

neu·tral·ized; neu·tral·iz·ing

Date:

1759

transitive verb1: to make chemically neutral2 a: to counteract the activity or effect of : make ineffective <propaganda that is difficult to neutralize> b: kill, destroy3: to make electrically inert by combining equal positive and negative quantities4: to invest (as a territory or a nation) with conventional or obligatory neutrality conferring inviolability during a war5: to make neutral by blending with the complementary color6: to give (as a pair of phonemes) a nondistinctive form or pronunciation <\t\ and \d\ are neutralized when pronounced as flaps>intransitive verb: to undergo neutralization

— neu·tral·iz·er noun