neutral
not supporting any side
Not choosing or helping one side or another in a fight, game, or argument.
[someone]/[a country]/[an organization] is neutral (in [a conflict/argument])
- The organization tries to remain neutral in political debates.
- Switzerland stayed neutral during both world wars.
- As a moderator, she must be completely neutral.
- The news anchor claimed to be neutral, but some viewers disagreed.
- International law requires that neutral states do not supply weapons to either side.
- The referee must be neutral in the game.
- Our teacher stayed neutral in the class debate.
- The country is neutral and does not join wars.
- He wants to be neutral and not choose a side.
- They asked the judge to be neutral and fair.
without strong feeling or opinion
Not clearly good or bad, happy or sad; without a strong feeling or opinion.
a neutral [tone/voice/expression/statement/response]
- Try to use neutral language in your report, without emotional words.
- Her voice was completely neutral as she read the verdict.
- The feedback was neutral, neither praising nor criticizing my work.
- He kept a neutral expression so no one could guess what he was thinking.
- The article is written in a neutral tone to let readers decide for themselves.
- Her face was neutral and hard to read.
- He spoke in a neutral voice, not angry or happy.
- The comment was neutral, not good and not bad.
- Please use neutral words in the report.
- The movie review was neutral, not very positive or negative.
having soft, muted colors
Having a soft color like beige, gray, or white; not bright or strong in color.
neutral [color/tone/shade/palette/outfit]
- The living room is decorated in neutral tones of beige and gray.
- She chose a neutral outfit so it would match any occasion.
- Designers often start with a neutral color palette and then add one bold color.
- Neutral shades on the walls make the room feel bigger.
- He prefers neutral colors like cream and taupe for his office.
- The walls are painted a neutral color.
- She wore a neutral dress, not very bright.
- I like neutral colors such as white and gray.
- This room has neutral tones and feels calm.
- We used neutral paint for the kitchen.
neither acidic nor basic (pH 7)
In chemistry, having pH 7, not an acid and not a base.
a neutral [solution/substance/pH]
- Pure water is considered neutral because its pH is 7.
- The solution is neutral, so it will not react strongly with acids or bases.
- When the pH indicator stays green, the liquid is neutral.
- The goal is to make the soil slightly less acidic and closer to neutral.
- A neutral pH is important for many biological processes.
- In science class we learned that water is neutral.
- The liquid is neutral; it is not an acid.
- A pH of 7 means the solution is neutral.
- This soap is almost neutral, so it is gentle.
- The teacher said the best pH for plants is near neutral.
having no electric charge
In physics, having no overall electric charge; the positive and negative charges are equal.
a neutral [atom/particle/object]
- A neutron is electrically neutral and has no net charge.
- Most atoms in a solid object are neutral overall.
- The balloon became negatively charged, while the wall remained neutral.
- In this experiment, we assume the object starts out neutral.
- The solution is electrically neutral, with equal positive and negative ions.
- A neutron is a neutral particle.
- The object is neutral; it has no charge.
- Most atoms are neutral in normal conditions.
- The wall is neutral, but the balloon is charged.
- In the picture, the middle atom is neutral.
not specific to any gender
Not only for men or only for women; suitable for any gender.
gender-neutral [language/pronoun/bathroom/policy]
- Many companies now use gender-neutral language in their job ads.
- They chose a gender-neutral name for their baby.
- The school introduced gender-neutral bathrooms to be more inclusive.
- "They" is often used as a gender-neutral pronoun in English.
- We need a gender-neutral term that includes all parents, not just mothers.
- This word is gender-neutral; it is for all people.
- We use gender-neutral language in our office.
- "They" can be a gender-neutral pronoun.
- The shop sells gender-neutral clothes.
- The school has gender-neutral toilets now.
gear position with no drive
The gear position in a car where the engine does not move the wheels.
put [a vehicle] in/into neutral
- He left the car in neutral with the handbrake on.
- Shift into neutral before you start the engine.
- The mechanic asked me to put it in neutral and rev the engine.
- On a steep hill, never leave the car in neutral without the brake.
- With the car in neutral, the engine runs but the vehicle does not move.
- The car is in neutral, so it does not move.
- Please put the car in neutral.
- He left the car in neutral on the road.
- You must not roll down the hill in neutral.
- I always start the car with the gear in neutral.
person or country not taking sides
A person or country that stays out of a fight or war and does not take a side.
[someone/a country] is a neutral in [a conflict/war]
- Sweden was a neutral in several major European conflicts.
- They tried to act as a neutral in the negotiation.
- As a neutral, the country offered to host peace talks.
- Both sides accepted the small island nation as a neutral.
- The company brought in a neutral to help resolve the dispute.
- The country stayed a neutral in the war.
- They asked a neutral to help with the fight.
- As a neutral, she could listen to both sides.
- The neutral helped the two groups talk.
- The small state wanted to be a neutral in world problems.
- Base: neutral
- Base: neutral
- Plural: neutral, neutrals
gender-neutral
1not limited to a gender
Not only for men or only for women; for all genders.
- They chose a gender-neutral name for their baby.
- The school uses gender-neutral bathrooms.
- We are working on more gender-neutral job titles.
in neutral
1with the vehicle in neutral
With a car’s gear in the position where the engine does not move the wheels.
- Leave the car in neutral and pull the handbrake.
- The engine was running while the car sat in neutral.
- He rolled down the hill with the car in neutral.
neutral ground
1place where no side dominates
A place where no side has more power, so all people or groups feel it is fair.
- They met on neutral ground to discuss the contract.
- The hotel lobby served as neutral ground for the peace talks.
- We chose a café in the city center as neutral ground for the meeting.
neutral zone
1area between opposing sides
An area between two sides, teams, or countries where neither side fully controls it.
- The soldiers were not allowed to enter the neutral zone.
- In hockey, players must pass through the neutral zone to attack.
- Talks took place in a neutral zone between the two borders.
remain neutral
1continue to not take sides
To keep not choosing or helping any side in a fight, game, or argument.
- The committee must remain neutral during the investigation.
- We decided to remain neutral and not vote for either candidate.
- Journalists are expected to remain neutral when reporting the news.
stay neutral
1avoid choosing a side
To not choose a side or show support for one group or person.
- He tried to stay neutral in his friends' argument.
- It is hard to stay neutral when your family is involved.
- The referee must stay neutral at all times.
take a neutral stance
1adopt a position of no support
To decide to have an official position where you do not support any side.
- The company decided to take a neutral stance on the political issue.
- Teachers are encouraged to take a neutral stance in classroom debates.
- The government chose to take a neutral stance in the regional dispute.
carbon neutral
2causing no net CO₂ increase
Not adding more carbon dioxide to the air overall, because emissions are reduced or balanced by actions that remove CO₂.
- The company aims to be carbon neutral by 2030.
- Flying will be more expensive if airlines are forced to go carbon neutral.
- Some cities are investing in trees to help them become carbon neutral.
carbon neutral
3Net zero greenhouse gas emissions
Not adding more carbon gases to the air than you remove.
- The festival aims to be completely carbon neutral by planting trees and using solar power.
- Many countries are pledging to become carbon neutral by 2050.