neutral

noun

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neu·tral | \ ˈnü-trəl

, ˈnyü- \

Definition of neutral

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : one that is neutral The two countries were neutrals while their neighbors were at war.

2 : a neutral color She painted the room in neutrals.

3 : a position of disengagement (as of gears) He put the car in neutral.

neutral

adjective

Definition of neutral (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : not engaged on either side specifically : not aligned with a political or ideological grouping a neutral nation

2 : of or relating to a neutral state or power neutral territory

3a : not decided or pronounced as to characteristics : indifferent

b(1) : achromatic

(2) : nearly achromatic

c(1) : neuter sense 3

(2) : lacking stamens or pistils

d : neither acid nor basic

e : not electrically charged

4 : produced with the tongue in the position it has when at rest the neutral vowels of \ə-ˈbəv\ above

Other Words from neutral Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about neutral

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Synonyms & Antonyms for neutral

Synonyms: Adjective

nonpartisan

Antonyms: Adjective

allied,
confederate

Examples of neutral in a Sentence

Noun He put the car in neutral. Their sister remained a neutral in the dispute. The two countries were neutrals while their neighbors were at war. Adjective He remained neutral while his brothers argued. She tries to be a fair and neutral journalist. The battle took place in neutral waters. The duel will be held on neutral ground. The report was written in neutral language. “Why did you do that?” he asked in a neutral tone of voice.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The colors are muted tones that feel like a neutral. — Elisa Lipsky-karasz, WSJ, "The Single Fashion Item That Got Me Through 2020," 21 Dec. 2020 It’s the true neutral in The Alignment System of sweaters and comes in 5 different colors. — Alexandra Polk, refinery29.com, "Shhh, This 24-Hour Entireworld Discount Is Just For YOU," 16 Nov. 2020 Grove Collaborative will ship items to you on an intuitive frequency, to avoid an overabundance of products and keep every order carbon and plastic neutral. — Madison Durham, USA TODAY, "35 awesome gift subscription boxes and services for every type of person," 3 Nov. 2020 Every fashionista knows dog hair is the new neutral. — Kim Campbell Thornton Andrews Mcmeel Syndication, Star Tribune, "Don't blow your top when your dog blows its summer coat," 30 Oct. 2020 Because of this, although it is considered a calming color, blue is also a fabulous neutral. — Washington Post, "Pandemic and other 2020 angst getting you down? There’s a color for that.," 17 Sep. 2020 The previous owner of this house was a single guy, and everything in here was a brown or a neutral. — Hannah Dylan Pasternak, SELF, "Jemele Hill Can Finally Watch Something Other Than Sports," 3 Sep. 2020 Temper rich colors like Kalahari Sunset MQ1-25 or Saffron Strands PPU6-02 with a classic neutral such as Smoky White BWC-13 for balance. — Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, "Behr's 2021 Color Palette Has All the Tranquil Shades You Need for a Peaceful Year," 2 Sep. 2020 Becoming carbon neutral is not the same as being carbon free. — Greg Stanley, Star Tribune, "University of Minnesota Morris becomes carbon neutral in electricity use," 4 Aug. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Earlier this week the actress hit her 10M followers with a stunning neutral glam/soft curls moment. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Lana Condor Just Wore the Perfect Valentine's Day Earrings And They're Only $38," 11 Feb. 2021 Is our debt held by friendly, neutral or antagonistic parties? — Michael Taylor, San Antonio Express-News, "Taylor: How much national debt is too much?," 10 Feb. 2021 At each setting, guests’ names on black tags were tied around neutral, minimalist menus by PS Paper, all set atop stone ceramic dinner plates and onyx Heath Ceramic chargers. — Shira Savada, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Couple Planned Their Wedding in Just 5 Months—After Two Years of Long-Distance Dating," 9 Feb. 2021 Lee used a method called transdermal optical imaging, which measures blood flow in the skin, to see what was behind his son’s neutral facial expression. — Christiane Gelitz, Scientific American, "Humans Are Pretty Lousy Lie Detectors," 9 Feb. 2021 On Monday, the city also installed fencing along roughly a mile of the North Claiborne Avenue neutral ground under Interstate 10. — Jeff Adelson, NOLA.com, "Three more New Orleans bars shuttered in pre-Mardi Gras enforcement of coronavirus rules," 8 Feb. 2021 Facebook and Twitter have long sought to occupy a position of neutral permissiveness toward speech, inspired by First Amendment principles. — Steve Coll, The New Yorker, "Trump’s Impeachment Trial Offers a Chance to Seize the Initiative on the Future of Free Speech," 8 Feb. 2021 High-profile authors provide more marketing on social media than any publisher can dream of, and the largely values-neutral Amazon is the main distribution channel for most books. — Ben Smith, New York Times, "Big Publishing Pushes Out Trump’s Last Fan," 7 Feb. 2021 So does that mean violence of any kind in videogames is bad for kids, or neutral at best? — Julie Jargon, WSJ, "Violent Videogames Aren’t Ruining Your Kids—but It’s Good to Discuss Them," 6 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'neutral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“Neutral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neutral. Accessed 3 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for neutral

neutral

noun

English Language Learners Definition of neutral

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a color that is not bright or strong : a neutral color

: the position of the gears in a car, truck, etc., when they do not touch each other and power from the engine does not move the wheels

: a person, country, etc., that does not support either side of an argument, fight, war, etc.

neutral

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of neutral (Entry 2 of 2)

: not supporting either side of an argument, fight, war, etc.

: not supporting one political view over another

: not connected with either side involved in a war, contest, etc.

See the full definition for neutral in the English Language Learners Dictionary

neutral

noun

neu·tral | \ ˈnü-trəl

, ˈnyü- \

Kids Definition of neutral

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a person or group that does not favor either side in a quarrel, contest, or war

2 : a grayish color or color that is not bright

3 : a position of gears (as in the transmission of a motor vehicle) in which they are not in contact

neutral

adjective

Kids Definition of neutral (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : not favoring either side in a quarrel, contest, or war

2 : of or relating to a country that doesn't favor either side in a dispute neutral territory

3 : not strong in opinion or feeling My feelings toward work are neutral.

4 : having a color that is not bright : grayish neutral walls

5 : neither acid nor basic

6 : not electrically charged

neutral

noun

neu·tral | \ ˈn(y)ü-trəl

Medical Definition of neutral

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a neutral color

neutral

adjective

Medical Definition of neutral (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : not decided or pronounced as to characteristics

2a : totally lacking in saturation : achromatic

b : not decided in color : nearly achromatic : of low saturation

3 : neither acid nor basic : neither acid nor alkaline specifically : having a pH value of 7.0 a neutral solution contains both hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions at the same concentration 1.00×10⁻⁷ — Linus Pauling

4 : not electrically charged

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neutral

noun

neu·tral

Legal Definition of neutral

(Entry 1 of 2)

: one that is neutral specifically : an impartial person used in alternative dispute resolution to help resolve or to determine the matters in dispute

neutral

adjective

Legal Definition of neutral (Entry 2 of 2)

: not engaged on either side specifically : not aligned with a political or ideological grouping