VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

neutral

adjective, noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈnjuːtrəl/
US/ˈnuːtrəl/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Not taking a side in an argument, contest or war.

    Grammar: Often followed by in: neutral in the dispute.

    Patterns

    • stay neutral
    • neutral in something

    Switzerland stayed neutral during the war.

    The teacher remained neutral in the argument.

    We need a neutral person to decide.

  2. adjectivecomparable

    Showing no strong feeling, opinion or style.

    Grammar: Often used for tone: a neutral voice.

    Patterns

    • neutral tone

    She spoke in a neutral tone.

    The report uses neutral language.

    His face stayed neutral.

  3. adjectivecomparable

    Soft in color, such as beige or gray, and easy to match.

    Grammar: Used for colors and decor: neutral colors.

    Patterns

    • neutral colors

    The room is painted in neutral colors.

    She prefers neutral shades like beige.

    A neutral sofa goes with anything.

  4. adjectivenot comparabletechnicalchemistry

    Having neither a positive nor negative electric charge, or neither acid nor alkaline.

    Grammar: Used in science: neutral pH.

    Patterns

    • neutral pH

    Pure water is neutral.

    A neutral atom has equal protons and electrons.

    The solution was neutral on the pH scale.

  5. noununcountable

    The position of a gear in which the engine is not connected to the wheels.

    Grammar: Usually used with in: in neutral.

    Patterns

    • in neutral
    • put the car in neutral

    Put the car in neutral before starting it.

    He left the van in neutral on the slope.

    The gearstick slipped into neutral.

Word forms

comparativemore neutral
superlativemost neutral
pluralneutrals

Common combinations

stay neutral
She tried to stay neutral in the dispute.
neutral ground
They met on neutral ground.
politically neutral
The charity is politically neutral.
neutral colors
The room uses calm neutral colors.
in neutral
Leave the car in neutral.
neutral party
A neutral party mediated the talks.

Synonyms and how they differ

impartial
Impartial focuses on fairness in judging, while neutral can simply mean not taking part.
unbiased
Unbiased says there is no prejudice, which is a more personal quality than neutral.
objective
Objective means based on facts, not feelings.
bland
Bland suggests dull or without interest, which neutral does not.

Opposites

biasedpartisanbold

Word family

neutrality noun
the state of not taking sides
neutralize verb
to cancel out the effect of something
neutrally adverb
in a way that takes no side
neutron noun
an uncharged particle in an atom

Commonly confused: neutral or nuclear?

neutral vs nuclear

Nuclear relates to the nucleus of an atom or atomic energy. It is not about taking sides.

Practice

During the dispute the manager stayed ___ and did not support either side.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “neutral”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words