—Synonyms 2. predisposition, preconception, predilection, partiality, proclivity; bent, leaning. Bias,prejudice mean a strong inclination of the mind or a preconceived opinion about something or someone. A bias may be favorable or unfavorable: bias in favor of or against an idea. Prejudice implies a preformed judgment even more unreasoning than bias, and usually implies an unfavorable opinion: prejudice against a race. 9. predispose, bend, incline, dispose.
A line going diagonally across the grain of fabric: Cut the cloth on the bias.
A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.
An unfair act or policy stemming from prejudice.
A weight or irregularity in a ball that causes it to swerve, as in lawn bowling.
The tendency of such a ball to swerve.
A statistical sampling or testing error caused by systematically favoring some outcomes over others.
Sports
A weight or irregularity in a ball that causes it to swerve, as in lawn bowling.
The tendency of such a ball to swerve.
The fixed voltage applied to an electrode.
adj.
Slanting or diagonal; oblique: a bias fold.
tr.v.
bi·ased or bi·assed, bi·as·ing or bi·as·sing, bi·as·es or bi·as·ses
To influence in a particular, typically unfair direction; prejudice.
To apply a small voltage to (a grid).
[French biais, slant, from Provençal, perhaps ultimately from Greek epikarsios, slanted; see sker-1 in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These verbs mean to influence unfavorably or detrimentally: His experiences biased his outlook. Your misbehavior has colored my opinion of you. Dishonest leaders have jaundiced her view of politics. Lying has prejudiced the public against them. Bitterness has warped your judgment. See Also Synonyms at incline, predilection.
1530, from M.Fr. biasis "slant, oblique," from O.Prov. biais, possibly from V.L. *(e)bigassius, from Gk. epikarsios "slanting, oblique," from epi- "upon" + karsios "oblique." Transferred sense of "predisposition, prejudice" is from 1572.
Bent\, n. [See Bend, n. & v.]1. The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity; as, the bent of a bow. [Obs.] --Wilkins. 2. A declivity or slope, as of a hill. [R.] --Dryden. 3. A leaning or bias; proclivity; tendency of mind; inclination; disposition; purpose; aim. --Shak. With a native bent did good pursue. --Dryden. 4. Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course. Bents and turns of the matter. --Locke. 5. (Carp.) A transverse frame of a framed structure. 6. Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus. [Archaic] The full bent and stress of the soul. --Norris. Syn: Predilection; turn. Usage: Bent, Bias, Inclination, Prepossession. These words agree in describing a permanent influence upon the mind which tends to decide its actions. Bent denotes a fixed tendency of the mind in a given direction. It is the widest of these terms, and applies to the will, the intellect, and the affections, taken conjointly; as, the whole bent of his character was toward evil practices. Bias is literally a weight fixed on one side of a ball used in bowling, and causing it to swerve from a straight course. Used figuratively, bias applies particularly to the judgment, and denotes something which acts with a permanent force on the character through that faculty; as, the bias of early education, early habits, etc. Inclination is an excited state of desire or appetency; as, a strong inclination to the study of the law. Prepossession is a mingled state of feeling and opinion in respect to some person or subject, which has laid hold of and occupied the mind previous to inquiry. The word is commonly used in a good sense, an unfavorable impression of this kind being denominated a prejudice. "Strong minds will be strongly bent, and usually labor under a strong bias; but there is no mind so weak and powerless as not to have its inclinations, and none so guarded as to be without its prepossessions." --Crabb.
Bi"as\ (b[imac]"as), n.; pl. Biases (-[e^]z). [F. biasis, perh. fr. LL. bifax two-faced; L. bis + facies face. See Bi-, and cf. Face.]1. A weight on the side of the ball used in the game of bowls, or a tendency imparted to the ball, which turns it from a straight line. Being ignorant that there is a concealed bias within the spheroid, which will . . . swerve away. --Sir W. Scott. 2. A leaning of the mind; propensity or prepossession toward an object or view, not leaving the mind indifferent; bent; inclination. Strong love is a bias upon the thoughts. --South. Morality influences men's lives, and gives a bias to all their actions. --Locke. 3. A wedge-shaped piece of cloth taken out of a garment (as the waist of a dress) to diminish its circumference. 4. A slant; a diagonal; as, to cut cloth on the bias. Syn: Prepossession; prejudice; partiality; inclination. See Bent.
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