- not supporting or helping either side in a disagreement, competition, etc. synonym impartial, unbiased
- Journalists are supposed to be politically neutral.
- I didn't take my father's or my mother's side; I tried to remain neutral.
Extra Examples- Our actions are never culturally neutral.
- The government maintained its strictly neutral policy.
- The meeting must be at a politically neutral location.
- I'm neutral about this issue.
- Very few journalists are politically neutral.
- When my parents split up I tried to remain neutral.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- remain
- stay
- …
- strictly
- completely
- broadly
- …
- about
Definitions on the go
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- not belonging to any of the countries that are involved in a war; not supporting any of the countries involved in a war
- neutral territory/waters
- Switzerland was neutral during the war.
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflictb2- The Americans took a broadly neutral position.
- The UN are sending six neutral observers to the talks.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- remain
- stay
- …
- strictly
- completely
- broadly
- …
- about
- deliberately not expressing any strong feeling
- ‘So you told her?’ he said in a neutral tone of voice.
Extra Examples- Dolly kept her voice carefully neutral.
- Her expression seemed neutral.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- remain
- …
- perfectly
- fairly
- quite
- …
- not affected by something
- He believes that technology is morally neutral until it is applied.
- not very bright or strong, such as grey or light brown
- a neutral colour scheme
- Neutral tones will give the room a feeling of space.
Extra ExamplesTopics Colours and Shapesc1- She chose fairly neutral make-up.
- Her clothes were neutral in colour.
- neither acid nor alkaline
- (abbreviation N)having neither a positive nor a negative electrical charge
- the neutral wire in a plug
in disagreement/contest
in war
without strong feeling/influence
colour
chemistry
electrical
Word Originlate Middle English (as a noun): from Latin neutralis ‘of neuter gender’, from Latin neuter ‘neither’, from ne- ‘not’ + uter ‘either’.
Idioms
See neutral in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee neutral in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishon neutral ground/territory
- in a place that has no connection with either of the people or sides who are meeting and so does not give an advantage to either of them
- We decided to meet on neutral ground.
Check pronunciation:
neutral