5 meanings
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1 —as in:
played at a neutral site
Definition
not favoring any side in a contest, war, disagreement, or other dispute- Switzerland remained neutral during the Second World War.
neutral = not taking either side
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- The game will not be played at either school. Instead it will be played at a neutral site.
- Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.Elie Wiesel (Nobel Acceptance Speech)
- They'd all met there yesterday, on neutral ground.Kim Edwards -- The Memory Keeper's Daughter
- Mayella's hostility, which had subsided to grudging neutrality, flared again.Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- I guess even though she was neutral, she didn't want to be seen with me.R.J. Palacio -- Wonder
- Except for Savanna's group, the girls were neutral at first.R.J. Palacio -- Wonder
- At that point, any boys who had still been on his side now jumped ship and were clearly neutral.R.J. Palacio -- Wonder
- anyway, you have all these neutrals, i say, pointing to the list. if you get them on your side, things will even up a bit.R.J. Palacio -- Wonder
- The girls are staying neutral.R.J. Palacio -- Wonder
neutral = not favoring either side
neutrality = not taking a side in a conflict
neutral = not favoring either side
neutrality = not favoring any side in a disagreement
neutral = not favoring either side
neutral = not favoring either side
neutral = not favoring either side
neutrals = people not favoring either side in a dispute
neutral = not favoring either side
2 —as in:
a carbon-neutral building
Definition
not affected by; or does not affectThe expression [x] neutral means two things do not affect each other. More specifically, it means one of two things depending upon context:
- something is not affected by x — for example "a revenue neutral tax plan" does not affect the amount of revenue collected. (It might raise taxes in one area and reduce them in another so that the total tax revenue is unchanged.)
- something does not affect x — for example "a carbon neutral home" is a home that does not affect carbon. Part of its design might include using solar energy to control climate rather than burning fossil fuels.
- All the bathrooms in the dorm are gender neutral.
neutral = not affected (in this case, bathrooms can be used by any gender)
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- This store only sells gender neutral clothing.
- Admissions at that college are race neutral.
- The committee is suggesting some cost neutral improvements.
- They're encouraging the use of Mx. as a gender-neutral replacement for Mr. and Ms.
- Made from all natural ingredients, it neutralizes odor-causing fungi and bacteria.Louis Sachar -- Holes
- In the crucial years, the fact that the Party was not a hereditary body did a great deal to neutralize opposition.George Orwell -- 1984
- In his capacity as an administrator, it is often necessary for a member of the Inner Party to know that this or that item of war news is untruthful, and he may often be aware that the entire war is spurious and is either not happening or is being waged for purposes quite other than the declared ones: but such knowledge is easily neutralized by the technique of doublethink.George Orwell -- 1984
- Sometimes, though, when his heartbeat neutralized and his body became functional again, he would turn off the lamp and stand in the darkness of the basement.Markus Zusak -- The Book Thief
neutral = not affected (in this case, clothes made to be worn regardless of gender)
neutral = not affected (in this case, admissions are not affected by gender)
neutral = not affected (in this case, improvements that do not affect cost)
neutral = not affected (in this case, a title not affected by gender)
neutralizes = makes something have no effect
neutralize = make something so it has no effect
neutralized = stopped being so strong
3 —as in:
decorated in neutral colors
Definition
bland (not striking in appearance or impression)- All the apartments I've looked at have such boring neutral colors.
neutral = bland (not striking in appearance)
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- The painting would look best in a room of neutral colors, so it will stand out.
- So they had to keep on neutral subjects.Bram Stoker -- Dracula
- The one girl picked a nice neutral shade, so it wasn't too bad.Kiera Cass -- The Selection
- Mrs. van Daan, Dussel and I were doing the dishes, and I was extremely quiet. This is very unusual for me and they were sure to notice, so in order to avoid any questions, I quickly racked my brains for a neutral topic.Anne Frank -- The Diary of a Young Girl
- The answer came in a neutral way.Bram Stoker -- Dracula
- She heard his voice before she saw him, another tone, slightly lower than David's and slightly more nasal, with a neutral northern accent; crisp air, edged with snow, floated into the room with every syllable.Kim Edwards -- The Memory Keeper's Daughter
neutral = bland (not striking in appearance)
neutral = non-controversial
neutral = not striking in appearance
neutral = non-controversial
neutral = not striking
4 —as in:
Put the car in neutral.
Definition
gears are not engaged; or (metaphorically) nothing is happening- Put the car in neutral and we'll push it.
neutral = with the gears unengaged
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- When the car is in neutral, I hear a whistling noise.
- We need to get the economy out of neutral and start growing again.
neutral = with the gears unengaged
neutral = an inactive or unengaged state
5 —
less common specialized meanings
Definition
Specialized senses typically mean that something does not belong to either of two other opposite alternatives; such as:- chemistry: not acidic or alkaline
- physics: not with a positive charge or with a negative charge
- electric circuitry: with no voltage or electrical charge (though that is an informal simplification that would be dangerous if assumed in fact)
- Protons have a positive charge. Electrons have a negative charge. Neutrons are neutral.
neutral = not positive or negative
- Pure water is neither acidic nor alkaline. It is neutral with a pH of 7.
neutral = not acidic or alkaline