neutral
noun
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
adjectiveDefinition 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
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Other words from neutral
Adjective
ˈnyü-
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for neutral
Synonyms: Adjective
Antonyms: Adjective
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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
Stick to black and neutrals, for easier mixing and matching — and better hiding of stains. — Jada Yuan, New York Times, "How Do You Pack for a Yearlong Trip?," 27 June 2018 Not quite neutrals, like a Naked Palette, but definitely toned down from the galaxy palette. — Sarah Spellings, The Cut, "Rihanna Dropped a New Fenty Beauty Palette, and It’s Spicy," 25 June 2018 Sadly, this year’s Nigeria team isn’t likely to win over any neutrals. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "World Cup 2018: A Guide to Every Team," 12 June 2018 Any neutrals looking for a team to get behind at the World Cup shouldn't look any further than Iceland, a feel-good story of international soccer that just keeps on giving. — Steve Douglas, chicagotribune.com, "World Cup Countdown: Iceland, the feel-good story looking to surprise again," 26 May 2018 But if punchy pinks and corals aren't your thing, a few staffers also make a strong case for summer darks and neutrals with a kick. — Lindsay Schallon, Glamour, "12 Nail Colors You'll Want on Your Toes All Summer," 5 July 2018 This palette truly has the range, and includes a full color spectrum of shadows: there's a white shade called Cake Face, a black shade called Shady, and nearly everything in between, from bright colors to both matte and metallic neutrals. — Rosemary Donahue, Allure, "Manny MUA Launches Lunar Beauty's Life's a Drag Eye Shadow Palette," 28 May 2018 For the past few years, whites and neutrals have ruled the world of paint color. — Lauren Smith, House Beautiful, "Behr's First-Ever Color of the Year Will Help You De-Stress at Home," 9 Aug. 2017 France will be favourites, but Peru will be the neutrals' favourites. — SI.com, "Peru's World Cup Journey: Part 2 - Setback in Saransk as History Weighs Heavy on Christian Cueva," 19 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Both teams' offenses were stuck in neutral for the first half of the game. — Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Eric Thames, strong pitching effort shut out Twins, 2-0," 3 July 2018 Macquarie upgraded the stock to outperform from neutral on May 31. — Bloomberg, Fortune, "How to Bet on World Cup 2018—In the Stock Market," 14 June 2018 The agency says that to stop the vehicles, drivers should shift into neutral, forcefully apply the brake and put the vehicle in park once it's stopped. — Tom Krisher, chicagotribune.com, "Fiat Chrysler warns 4.8 million drivers of newer models: Don't use cruise control," 25 May 2018 The agency says that to stop the vehicles, drivers should shift into neutral, forcefully apply the brake and put the vehicle in park once it's stopped. — Tom Krisher, Detroit Free Press, "Fiat Chrysler warns 5.3M owners: Don't use the cruise," 25 May 2018 With the United States moving the embassy Monday from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a city that the international community has considered neutral due to competing ownership claims by the two sides, the protests bubbled up. — Carli Teproff, miamiherald, "Gaza violence, embassy opening in Israel divide South Florida," 14 May 2018 Penélope Cruz and Cate Blanchett, who both won Oscars for their work with Allen, have been slightly more neutral, calling for the Farrow case to be examined again by legal experts. — Yohana Desta, HWD, "Woody Allen Says He Should Be the “Poster Boy” for the #MeToo Movement," 4 June 2018 For starters, the host nation is far from neutral in the eyes of the world, even merely in the category of sports. — Hayden Bird, BostonGlobe.com, "What to know about the World Cup title match," 14 July 2018 The particle was a neutrino, electrically neutral and almost massless, which means its path could be traced back to the extragalactic event that created it. — Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, "Ghostly particle caught in polar ice ushers in new way to look at the universe," 12 July 2018These 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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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
adjectiveEnglish 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
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
adjectiveKids 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
\
Medical Definition of neutral
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a neutral color
neutral
adjectiveMedical 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
nounLegal 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
adjectiveLegal Definition of neutral (Entry 2 of 2)
: not engaged on either side specifically : not aligned with a political or ideological grouping
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