neutral

English Online Dictionary. What means neutral‎? What does neutral mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle French neutral (compare modern French neutre), from Latin neutrālis. By surface analysis, neuter +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈnjuːtɹəl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈnuːtɹəl/, [ˈnuːt͡ʃɹəl]

Adjective

neutral (comparative more neutral, superlative most neutral)

1. (politics) Not taking sides in a conflict such as war; nonaligned.
2. Favoring neither the supporting nor opposing viewpoint of a topic of debate; unbiased.

   Synonyms: disinterested, indifferent; see also Thesaurus:impartial
3. Neither positive nor negative.
4. Neither beneficial nor harmful.

   Synonym: innocuous
5. (biology) Having no sex; neuter.

   Synonym: sexless

6. Having no obvious colour; gray.

   Synonym: beige

8. (physics) Neither positive nor negative; possessing no charge or equivalent positive and negative charge such that there is no imbalance.

   Synonyms: uncharged, chargeless

10. (chemistry) Having a pH of or near 7, neither acidic nor alkaline.
11. (liquor, chemistry) Of an alcoholic drink, having been fermented and distilled but with no additives.
13. (roleplaying games) Having an alignment that is situated between chaotic and lawful.

    Coordinate terms: chaotic, lawful

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

neutral (plural neutrals)

1. A nonaligned state, or a member of such a state.
2. A person who takes no side in a dispute.
3. An individual or entity serving as an arbitrator or adjudicator.
4. A neutral hue.
5. The position of a set of gears in which power cannot be transmitted to the drive mechanism.
6. An electrical terminal or conductor which has zero or close to zero voltage with respect to the ground.

   Coordinate terms: hot, ground, earth

Derived terms

• borrowed neutral

Translations

See also

• (transmission gears): freewheel, overdrive

Anagrams

• Renault, run late, unalert, unalter

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin neutrālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [nəwˈtɾal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [newˈtɾal]

Adjective

neutral m or f (masculine and feminine plural neutrals)

1. neutral

Derived terms

Related terms

• neutre

Further reading

• “neutral” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Danish

Adjective

neutral

1. neutral

Inflection

German

Alternative forms

• n. (abbreviation)

Etymology

16th century, borrowed from Latin neutralis, at first in political parlance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɔʏ̯ˈtʁaːl/
• Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective

neutral (strong nominative masculine singular neutraler, comparative neutraler, superlative am neutralsten)

1. neutral
   1. (politics) not taking sides, not joining alliances

      Synonyms: unbeteiligt, unparteiisch, bündnisfrei

   2. impartial, unbiased

      Synonyms: unparteiisch, unvoreingenommen, unbefangen, wertfrei

   3. having no pronounced quality, neither good nor bad etc.

      Synonym: indifferent

   4. (physics) electrically uncharged

      Synonym: ungeladen

   5. (chemistry) neither acidic nor alkaline
2. neuter
   1. (grammar) of neuter gender

      Synonym: sächlich

   2. (biology, rare) sexless

      Synonym: geschlechtlos

Declension

Derived terms

• neutralisieren
• Neutralität

Related terms

• Neutrum

Further reading

• “neutral” in Duden online
• “neutral” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin neutralis or Italian neutrale. By surface analysis, neutru +‎ -al.

Adjective

neutral m or n (feminine singular neutrală, masculine plural neutrali, feminine and neuter plural neutrale)

1. neutral

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin neutrālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /neuˈtɾal/ [neu̯ˈt̪ɾal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: neu‧tral

Adjective

neutral m or f (masculine and feminine plural neutrales)

1. (politics) neutral

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• “neutral”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /neːɵˈtrɑːl/

Adjective

neutral

1. neutral
2. (grammar) intransitive

Declension

Related terms

• neutralisera
• neutralitet

References