neutral

noun neu·tral \ ˈnü-trəl , ˈnyü- \

Definition of neutral

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.

See neutral defined for English-language learners

See neutral defined for kids

Examples of neutral in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of neutral from the Web

Karen Laine and daughter Mina Starsiak of HGTV's new show Good Bones also favor simple plaids and neutrals.

— devin tomb, Good Housekeeping, "Christina El Moussa Has a Few Things She'd Like to Say," 22 Aug. 2017
Warm neutrals like light yellow or light gray are stylish and clean, signals that the home is well-cared for, or that the previous owner had an eye for design that might translate into other areas of the house.

— melissa rolland, courant.com, "5 Insider Homestaging Secrets You'll Love," 15 Aug. 2017
Original Price: $760 This skirt is going to be divisive — the color and cut is meant for a person who prefers soothing neutrals and has a job with a fairly liberal, creative dress code.

— diana tsui, The Cut, "9 Comfy Skirts You Won’t Want to Rip Off at the End of a Work Day," 19 July 2017
The 18 shadow shades include shimmer and matte neutrals ranging from light beige to dark brown, making this the gift to give a friend in pursuit of fierce smoky eyes.

— rebecca shinners, Allure, "Your First Look at Too Faced's Entire Christmas 2017 Collection [EXCLUSIVE]," 19 July 2017
Take Stella McCartney and her husband Alasdhair Willis, who turned up today in game-changing neutrals.

— maria ward, Vogue, "Pippa Middleton and James Matthews Just May Be Wimbledon’s Best Dressed Couple," 14 July 2017
In sum, Trump’s anti-Cairo message is that only a disciplined, strong West — confident in its past and sure of its present success — will deter enemies, appeal to neutrals, and keep friends.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "Trump’s Anti-Cairo Speech," 11 July 2017
The black-and-white pattern makes for an unusual take on neutrals.

— indya brown, The Cut, "Summer Sandals Shouldn’t Have to Cost More Than $100," 26 June 2017
While neutrals look great in certain settings, they can be completely washed out in others.

— madeleine luckel, Vogue, "14 Wedding Trends to Avoid in 2017: Flower Crowns, Food Trucks, and More," 19 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of neutral

see ²neutral

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Other Automotive Terms

articulated, block, choke, clutch, diesel, transmission

neutral

adjective

Definition of neutral

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

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

b (1) :achromatic

(2) :nearly achromatic

c (1) :neuter 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

—

neutrally

play \ˈnü-trə-lē, ˈnyü-\ adverb

—

neutralness

noun

See neutral defined for English-language learners

Examples of neutral in a Sentence

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 of neutral from the Web

One of the things that was tough was this juxtaposition about being tech neutral and businesses being able to evolve.

— kartikay mehrotra, Bloomberg.com, "Tech Companies Are Pushing Back Against Biometric Privacy Laws," 20 July 2017
The neutral hoe cakes do little to quell the burn from this sauce duo, which threatens to overpower.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "LouVino Douglass Hills is good, but not living up to full potential | Review," 12 July 2017
In addition, the button for neutral is between the drive and reverse toggles and wide enough that Spina expects most drivers will end up using their index finger for drive and middle finger for reverse.

— mark phelan, Detroit Free Press, "GMC bets on new shifter design in 2018 Terrain SUV," 2 July 2017
The software will divide comments into positive, neutral and negative buckets, and the negative comments will be monitored continuously during business hours.

— shirley s. wang, WSJ, "What Doctors Are Doing About Bad Reviews Online," 25 June 2017
Because of that money gap, Power 5 and Big East teams played 88.6 percent of their non-conference games at home or on neutral courts last season, according to data compiled by college basketball analyst Mark Adams.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "After embarrassing losses, Power 5 teams are avoiding UT Arlington," 23 June 2017
Shell said revenue can be raised with a reform plan that is revenue neutral yet sparks job creation and economic growth.

— tom loftus, The Courier-Journal, "Gov. Matt Bevin faces tough sell on tax reform, even among Republican allies," 23 June 2017
The secretaries of defense and state have stayed neutral, urging unity against the common enemy of the Islamic State.

— david d. kirkpatrick, Alaska Dispatch News, "Trump’s business ties in Persian Gulf raise questions," 18 June 2017
On the other hand, unlike the government, Americans are not expected to remain neutral observers of that market.

— thomas healy, The Atlantic, "Who's Afraid of Free Speech?," 18 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of neutral

Middle English neuterall mutually neutralizing, from Medieval Latin *neutralis, back-formation from neutralitas middle ground, from Latin neutralis neuter, from neutr-, neuter

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

neutral Synonyms

Synonyms

nonpartisan, on the fence

Antonyms

allied, confederate

Related Words

nonaligned; hands-off, noninterventionist; autonomous, independent, sovereign (also sovran), unaffiliated; nonbelligerent; individualistic; disinterested, evenhanded, fair, impartial, indifferent, unbiased, uninfluenced, unprejudiced; bipartisan

Near Antonyms

biased, partial, partisan, prejudiced, unfair; affiliated, associated, federated; belligerent

Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

NEUTRAL Defined for English Language Learners

neutral

noun

Definition of neutral for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of neutral for English Language Learners

: 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.

NEUTRAL Defined for Kids

neutral

noun neu·tral \ ˈnü-trəl , ˈnyü- \

Definition of neutral for Students

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

Definition of neutral for Students

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

Medical Dictionary

neutral

noun neu·tral \ ˈn(y)ü-trəl \

medical Definition of neutral

:a neutral color

neutral

adjective

medical Definition of neutral

1 :not decided or pronounced as to characteristics

2 a :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

Law Dictionary

neutral

noun neu·tral

legal Definition of neutral

: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

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

—

neutrally

adverb

—

neutralness

noun

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neutral

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neutral

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neutral

legal Definition of neutral

neutrally

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