neuter

1 of 3

adjective

neu·​ter ˈnü-tər 

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

a

: worker sense 2

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

Synonyms

Verb

• alter
• fix

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

Adjective

The animal shelter also set up vet appointments for the pups to receive vaccinations and spay and neuter appointments, which are done at the rescue facility at no cost to the foster. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

Assistant Police Chief Ted Uzelac outlined a plan to trap feral cats, neuter them and release them back into the colony, gradually reducing and potentially eliminating the city’s problem with feral cats. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025

Noun

Contrast this to the Santa Clara County’s shelter, which earlier this year attracted two full-time veterinarians to help support a low-cost public spay-neuter program. —Michael Wagner, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025

Ultimately, the decision to spay or neuter is a complex one, and the best choice for each dog's health and well-being should be a thoughtful, informed discussion with a veterinarian. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

Verb

According to a blog post from the American Kennel Club (AKC), neutering is a surgical procedure that removes a male dog's testicles, which eliminates their ability to reproduce and may reduce male breeding behaviors. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

The same fate that has befallen so many local-news outlets has neutered the TTT as well. —Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for neuter

• pewter
• router
• scooter
• shooter
• suitor
• tutor
• commuter
• computer
• polluter
• recruiter
• microcomputer
• minicomputer

Kids Definition

neuter

1 of 3 adjective

neu·​ter ˈn(y)üt-ər 

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

: worker sense 2

neuter

3 of 3 verb

: castrate, alter sense 2

Medical Definition

neuter

1 of 2 noun

neu·​ter ˈn(y)üt-ər 

: a spayed or castrated animal (as a cat)

neuter

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to castrate or spay (an animal) : alter