Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

neutral

Pronunciation: /ˈnjuːtr(ə)l/

Translate neutral | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of neutral

adjective

  • 1not supporting or helping either side in a conflict, disagreement, etc.; impartial:neutral and non-aligned European nations
  • belonging to an impartial group or state:the trial should be held on neutral ground
  • 2having no strongly marked or positive characteristics or features:her tone was neutral, devoid of sentiment
  • of or denoting a pale grey, cream, or beige colour:walls are painted in neutral tones
  • 3 Chemistry neither acid nor alkaline; having a pH of about 7: a neutral solution neutral soil conditions
  • 4having neither a positive nor negative electrical charge: live and neutral contacts on plugs

noun

  • 1an impartial or unbiased state or person:Sweden and its fellow neutrals I attended the Cup Final as a neutral
  • 2 [mass noun] pale grey, cream, or beige: classic shades of navy, white, and neutral
  • 3 [mass noun] a disengaged position of gears in which the engine is disconnected from the driven parts:she slipped the gear into neutral
  • 4an electrically neutral point, terminal, conductor, or wire.

Derivatives

neutrally

adverb

Origin:

late Middle English (as a noun): from Latin neutralis 'of neuter gender', from Latin neuter (see neuter)

neutral in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of neutral in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

Word of the day

merrythought

/ /
noun
the wishbone of a bird …