neutral
/ˈnuː.tɹəl/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.24 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Not taking sides in a conflict such as war; nonaligned.
adj
Not biased; viewing situations objectively in a way that is neither positive nor negative.
adj
Neither beneficial nor harmful.
adj
Neither positive nor negative; possessing no charge or equivalent positive and negative charge such that there is no imbalance.
Example Sentences
- "I am neutral regarding the issue of gay marriage."
- "The heart can not possibly remain neutral, but constantly takes part one way or the other."
- "a neutral person"
- "Some things good, and some things ill, do seem, And neutral some, in her fantastic eye."
- "Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…] The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation,[…] In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. These rarities may be new mutations, or they can be existing ones that are neutral—or are even selected against—in a wild population. A good example is mutations that disrupt seed dispersal, leaving the seeds on the heads long after they are ripe."
- "They say in Harlan County There are no neutrals there You'll either be a union man Or a thug for J.H. Blair."
Etymology
From Middle French neutral (compare modern French neutre), from Latin neutrālis. By surface analysis, neuter + -al.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: neutral, neutrālis
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈnuː.tɹəl/
- British English: /ˈnjuː.tɹəl/