neutral
Noun pluralneutrals (some meanings)
Pluralneutrals (some meanings)
- 1Favoring neither side of a debate; not biased toward one position or the other.
The moderator kept her questions neutral so neither candidate gained an edge.
He gave a neutral assessment of the proposal, praising and criticizing it in equal measure.
Similarimpartial, unbiased, objective, fair, detached
Oppositebiased, partisan, partial, one-sided
Note
Here the sides are opinions rather than armies, and the natural frame is remaining neutral. Shaftesbury's Characteristicks (1711) insists the heart "can not possibly remain neutral, but constantly takes part one way or the other." One is neutral on or regarding an issue. Disinterested is the closest synonym, meaning having no stake in the outcome. Indifferent leans further, toward not caring at all.
- 2Not taking either side in a conflict such as a war; nonaligned.
The nation declared itself neutral and refused to send troops to either alliance.
Neutral states often host peace talks because both parties trust them.
Similarnonaligned, uninvolved, impartial
Oppositebelligerent, aligned
Note
A word for states at war, carried into English through Middle French from Latin neutrālis, built on neuter plus -al. In international relations a neutral state abstains from an armed conflict and takes on rights and duties in return: immunity from attack, and the obligation to treat both belligerents impartially. Nations declare themselves neutral or remain neutral, and the same idea gives the noun for a nonaligned state.
- 3The gear position in which the engine's power cannot reach the wheels or drive mechanism.
She left the transmission in neutral so the car could roll freely down the ramp.
Slipping into neutral on a downhill stretch saves no real fuel in modern cars.
Note
In this sense the word takes no article and nearly always follows in or into. You put the car in neutral, or, as Robert S. Close writes in With Hooves of Brass (1961), you shove the tractor into neutral and leave the engine running. With no gear pair engaged, the engine turns without driving the wheels. Angel gear is a humorous near-synonym.
- 4Neither positive nor negative; standing midway between two opposite values or attitudes.
The report's neutral tone avoided both praise and blame.
On the rating scale, three marks the neutral midpoint.
Similarnoncommittal, impartial, middle
- 5Neither beneficial nor harmful in its effect.
Researchers found the additive to be neutral, with no measurable benefit or risk.
The policy proved economically neutral, neither boosting nor slowing growth.
Similarinnocuous
Note
The sense of effect rather than attitude, and an old one: Sir John Davies, around 1600, sorts things into "good," "ill" and "neutral some." Innocuous is the nearest synonym, but the two are not interchangeable. Innocuous only says a thing does no harm, while neutral also denies that it does any good.
- 6Having no obvious or strong color; grayish.
The designer chose a neutral palette of soft grays and off-whites.
His suit was a neutral gray that suited almost any occasion.
Similarmuted, subdued, understated, pale
Note
In color the word means low saturation: grays, blacks, whites and muted browns that read as nearly colorless and recede beside stronger tones. Beige is the everyday synonym, though designers also speak of warm and cool varieties. The same idea becomes a countable noun in a neutral hue, so a decorator can choose neutrals for a room.
- 7One who takes no side in a dispute between others.
The talks broke down until a respected neutral was brought in to mediate.
He served as a neutral, listening to both parties without favoring either.
Similarmediator, arbiter, intermediary
Oppositepartisan
Note
The person-sense has a famous refusal behind it. In "Which Side Are You On?" (1931), sung by Florence Patton Reece, Harlan County is said to have none: you either stand with the union or with the hired muscle against it. In partisan speech the word can be an accusation as easily as a description. Contrast the arbitrator sense, where being neutral is a job rather than an abstention.
- 8Possessing no net electric charge, either from having no charge or from balanced positive and negative charge.
Neutrons are neutral, which lets them slip into a nucleus without being repelled.
When the atom gains an extra electron, it is no longer neutral.
Similaruncharged
Oppositecharged
Note
In physics the balance is one of charge. A body is neutral when it carries no charge, or when its positive and negative charges cancel exactly, so a uniform field exerts no net force on it. Uncharged and chargeless are synonyms, but neutral is the standard term for atoms, particles and whole bodies.
- 9Having a pH at or near 7; neither acidic nor alkaline.
Distilled water is close to neutral at room temperature.
The solution turned neutral once enough base was added to cancel the acid.
Note
Chemistry fixes the midpoint at a number: pH 7 at 25 °C. At that point hydronium and hydroxide ions are present in equal concentrations. Acidic and alkaline (or basic) are the two sides a neutral solution stands between, and adding acid or base moves it toward one of them.
- 10A nation that aligns with neither side in a conflict, or a citizen belonging to one.
During the war, Switzerland remained a neutral and refused to send troops to either alliance.
The neutrals at the conference urged both sides to negotiate.
Oppositebelligerent, combatant
- 11A muted color such as gray, beige, or cream that lacks strong hue and pairs easily with other shades.
The designer chose a warm neutral for the walls to keep the space serene.
Beiges and grays are her favorite neutrals for a minimalist room.
- 12A terminal or conductor in an electrical system held at zero or near-zero voltage relative to the earth ground.
Technicians measured almost no voltage between the neutral and the ground rod.
A broken neutral in the supply line can damage sensitive equipment.
Note
In wiring, this is the return path: the conductor that carries current back from the load to the source, kept at or near ground potential. Do not confuse it with the live wire, or with the separate protective earth, though both run beside it. It works as a countable noun (a broken neutral, the neutral) and also uncountably (a circuit with no neutral).
- 13Free from bias; viewing a situation objectively, favoring neither a positive nor a negative judgment.
A good moderator remains neutral, giving equal weight to opposing arguments.
Researchers kept their tone neutral to avoid influencing the participants' responses.
Similarimpartial, unbiased, objective, detached, dispassionate
Oppositebiased, partisan, partial
Note
Psychology uses the word for a disposition rather than a position. A neutral person meets events without tilting toward a positive or negative reading. The term also covers stimuli that pull feeling neither way, so observation can proceed without evaluative bias. Where the debating sense is about sides in an argument, this one is about the emotional coloring of judgment itself.
- 14An individual or body that serves as an impartial arbitrator or adjudicator between contending parties.
The unions and management each accepted the ruling handed down by the neutral.
Experienced neutrals know how to keep heated negotiations from breaking down.
Similararbitrator, arbiter, adjudicator, umpire
- 15Lacking functional sex organs or sexual characteristics; sexless or neuter.
The showy ray florets of the hydrangea are neutral and produce no seed.
Botanists noted that the plant's neutral flowers exist mainly to attract pollinators to the fertile ones.
Similarsexless
Oppositefertile
Note
A botanist's and zoologist's term for what lacks functional sex. It describes flowers bearing neither working stamens nor pistils, like the showy sterile florets at the edge of many composite heads. This is the sense that stays closest to the word's own parts, neuter plus -al, the origin traced under the political sense. Sexless is the plain synonym, and neutral is the field's descriptive term.
- 16In role-playing games, having a moral or ethical alignment positioned between two extremes, such as between good and evil or lawful and chaotic.
The druid stayed neutral, refusing to favor either the lawful knights or the chaotic raiders.
Many players find a neutral character freeing, since no strict code dictates every choice.
Note
Tabletop gaming borrows the word for a place on a grid of character alignments. Good and evil form one axis, and law and chaos form the other. A neutral character sits at the midpoint of an axis. The label can mean indifference to those commitments, or a deliberate effort to keep them in balance.
- 17Of an alcoholic drink, having been fermented and distilled but left without any added flavorings, coloring, or other ingredients.
Distillers blend the gin botanicals into a neutral spirit before bottling.
A clean, neutral vodka carries almost no taste of its own.
Similarunflavored, plain
Oppositeflavored
Note
A distiller's word for spirit with nothing added. It is fermented and distilled to a high-proof base, then left without flavoring or coloring. The fixed phrase is neutral grain spirit, which commonly serves as the base for vodka. Here neutral describes taste as much as chemistry: a clean alcohol with almost no character of its own.
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Origin
From Middle French neutral (compare modern French neutre), from Latin neutrālis. It can be analyzed as neuter plus the suffix -al.