neuter

1 of 3

adjective

neu·​ter ˈnü-tər How to pronounce neuter (audio)
ˈnyü-
1
a
: of, relating to, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to things classed as neither masculine nor feminine
b
: neither active nor passive : intransitive
2
: taking no side : neutral
3
: lacking or having imperfectly developed or nonfunctional generative organs

neuter

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the neuter gender
b
: the neuter gender
2
: one that is neutral
3
b
: a spayed or castrated animal

neuter

3 of 3

verb

neutered; neutering; neuters

transitive verb

1
: to castrate or spay (an animal) : alter
a neutered cat
2
: to remove the force or effectiveness of (someone or something)
Democrats say those changes would effectively neuter the bureau and hand the financial industry yet another victory over the little guy.Michael Crowley

Examples of neuter in a Sentence

Adjective The pronoun “it” is neuter. Verb She had her dog neutered by the veterinarian. The bill was neutered by the changes made by the legislature.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Hank is one of a million pets impacted by the BISSELL Pet Foundation through its national rescue, adoption, transport, and spay/neuter initiatives since its founding in 2011. Kelli Bender, People.com, 11 June 2025 To find out how the gene affects color, Kaelin studied its actions in live tissues collected at spay and neuter clinics that otherwise would have been discarded. Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
Noun
All adoptions include spay/neuter, vaccinations, a microchip, and a personalized ID tag with most pets ready to go home the same day they are adopted. Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025 Daugherty said Animal Care and Control is creating a mobile clinic to provide spay/neuter, vaccinations, and other services in neighborhoods, with the goal of launching it in late summer or early fall. Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
In what could be interpreted as a response to Squid Game’s emergence as a global phenomenon—albeit one neutered by reality competition spin-offs and child-size Player 456 Halloween costumes—the VIPs’ return in the final season emphasizes this uncomfortable identification between viewer and villain. Judy Berman, Time, 27 June 2025 The country's air defenses are in tatters, its proxies are neutered. Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for neuter

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English neutre, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French neutre, from Latin neuter, literally, neither, from ne- not + uter which of two — more at no, whether entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of neuter was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Neuter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neuter. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

neuter

1 of 3 adjective
neu·​ter ˈn(y)üt-ər How to pronounce neuter (audio)
1
: relating to or being the class of words that ordinarily includes most of those referring to things that are neither male nor female
a neuter noun
the neuter gender
2
: lacking sex organs
also : having imperfectly developed sex organs

neuter

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: a word or form of the neuter gender
b
: the neuter gender
2

neuter

3 of 3 verb

Medical Definition

neuter

1 of 2 noun
neu·​ter ˈn(y)üt-ər How to pronounce neuter (audio)
: a spayed or castrated animal (as a cat)

neuter

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to castrate or spay (an animal) : alter

More from Merriam-Webster on neuter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!