bias 1 of 3

Definition of biasnext
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bias

2 of 3

adverb

as in diagonally
in a line or direction running from corner to corner made of fabric cut bias

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bias

3 of 3

verb

as in to turn
to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge bad reviews biased her against the movie, even though it starred one of her favorite actors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun bias contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bias are predilection, prejudice, and prepossession. While all these words mean "an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something," bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing.

a strong bias toward the plaintiff

Where would predilection be a reasonable alternative to bias?

While in some cases nearly identical to bias, predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience.

a predilection for travel

When can prejudice be used instead of bias?

The synonyms prejudice and bias are sometimes interchangeable, but prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance.

a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

When is it sensible to use prepossession instead of bias?

While the synonyms prepossession and bias are close in meaning, prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

a prepossession against technology

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bias
Noun
Journalism is a great way to do it, but sometimes fictional storytelling is a more effective way of highlighting issues in the world, especially right now, where people are so polarized that everyone only consumes their own news sources that affirm their preexisting biases. Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026 Neff also allegedly withheld information about potential biases in the case from a grand jury, according to the two officials. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
Not to be biased, but this may be our favorite gift guide of the bunch. The Editors, Outside, 8 Dec. 2025 Paramount attorneys sent the letter as the company suspects that Zaslav has been biased against a merger with Paramount since the outset, and instead, would rather complete its path toward a separation, some of the people familiar told CNBC. Julia Boorstin,lillian Rizzo,alex Sherman,david Faber, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bias
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bias
Noun
  • Oklahoma Indian Territory who defied poverty and prejudice to become one of America’s first Black female millionaires — at just 11 years old.
    Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • And, as Politico observed, his critics are poised to define him not by policy but by identity—testing whether the city that elected its first Muslim mayor will judge him by his performance or by prejudice.
    Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The brewery’s ball pit is meant to be an incisive commentary on our generation’s tendency to enjoy the trappings of adulthood—such as consuming alcohol—without fully committing to the responsibilities that are supposed to come with them, such as parenthood.
    Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Trump’s economic management combines two theoretically incompatible tendencies.
    Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • To apply grout, use the rubber float to spread the grout diagonally across the tile, forcing it into the seams.
    Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 5 Jan. 2026
  • To me and others, Orion also resembles a giant hourglass oriented diagonally in the evening southeastern sky.
    Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Researchers in Germany are set to turn green waste, hay and algae into fully biodegradable plastics.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Together, these trends have turned industrial space into a cornerstone of national logistics and digital capacity.
    CBS News, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This Sunday’s order is a matter of preference and partiality, but the top five itself seems clear.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Despite its partiality to a president’s power over independent federal agencies, the court has repeatedly suggested that the Fed is an exception.
    Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The inclination to avoid that threshold already impacted Denver’s decision not to sign a rookie contract extension with Peyton Watson last month.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Lin—whose early career at Zappos and mathematical inclinations molded him into an early backer of companies like Airbnb and DoorDash—has been at Sequoia since 2010.
    Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But, increasingly, events that should appall and unite America against violence instead fuel an intensifying partisanship.
    John Archibald, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Carving up Kansas City Missouri’s review of the map was based on racial and partisanship data from the 2020 presidential election.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Since launching in 2012, Candy Crush Saga has remained one of the most popular games on mobile devices, accruing millions of daily players.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
  • On the hardware side over 10+ million devices have been built around a recovery phrase by default, entrenching a market expectation in which seed phrases are the go-to recovery method, even as some vendors add alternatives.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bias.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bias. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

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