Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

neutral

 - 12 dictionary results

neu·tral

   [noo-truhl, nyoo-]
–adjective
1.
not taking part or giving assistance in a dispute or war between others: a neutral nation during World War II.
2.
not aligned with or supporting any side or position in a controversy: The arbitrator was absolutely neutral.
3.
of or belonging to a neutral state or party: neutral territory.
4.
of no particular kind, characteristics, etc.; indefinite: a neutral personality that made no impression whatever; a sex-neutral job title.
5.
(of a color or shade)
a.
gray; without hue; of zero chroma; achromatic.
b.
matching well with many or most other colors or shades, as white or beige.
6.
Botany, Zoology. neuter.
7.
not causing or reflecting a change in something: It is believed that the new tax law will be revenue neutral.
8.
Chemistry. exhibiting neither acid nor alkaline qualities: neutral salts.
9.
Physics.
a.
(of a particle) having no charge.
b.
(of an atom, molecule, collection of particles, fluid, or solid) having no net charge; electroneutral; not electrified.
c.
not magnetized.
10.
Phonetics. (of a vowel) pronounced with the tongue relaxed in a central position, as the a in alive; reduced.
–noun
11.
a person or a nation that remains neutral, as in a controversy or war.
12.
a citizen of a neutral nation during a war.
13.
Machinery, Automotive. the position or state of disengaged gears or other interconnecting parts: in neutral.
14.
a neutral color.
Use neutral in a Sentence
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < L neutrālis grammatically neuter. See neuter, -al1

—Related forms
neu·tral·ly, adverb
an·ti·neu·tral, adjective, noun
an·ti·neu·tral·ly, adverb
non·neu·tral, adjective, noun
non·neu·tral·ly, adverb
quasi-neutral, adjective
qua·si-neu·tral·ly, adverb
sem·i·neu·tral, adjective
un·neu·tral, adjective
un·neu·tral·ly, adverb

—Synonyms
2. impartial, disinterested, dispassionate, uninvolved, unbiased.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To neutral
Word Origin & History

neutral
c.1449 as a noun, "one who remains neutral," from M.Fr. neutral, from L. neutralis "of neuter gender," from neuter (see neuter). The adj. sense of "not taking sides in a fight" is 1549, probably from a similar meaning in M.L. Meaning "disengaged position in gear mechanisms" is from 1912. Neutral corner (1952) is from boxing.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
neu·tral   (nōō'trəl, nyōō'-)   
adj.  

  1. Not aligned with, supporting, or favoring either side in a war, dispute, or contest.

  2. Belonging to neither side in a controversy: on neutral ground.

  3. Belonging to neither kind; not one thing or the other.

  4. Sexless; neuter.

  5. Chemistry

    1. Of or relating to a solution or compound that is neither acidic nor alkaline.

    2. Of or relating to a compound that does not ionize in solution.

    3. Of or relating to a particle, an object, or a system that has neither positive nor negative electric charge.

    4. Of or relating to a particle, object, or system that has a net electric charge of zero.

  6. Physics

    1. Of or relating to a particle, an object, or a system that has neither positive nor negative electric charge.

    2. Of or relating to a particle, object, or system that has a net electric charge of zero.

  7. Of or indicating a color, such as gray, black, or white, that lacks hue; achromatic.

  8. Linguistics Pronounced with the tongue in a middle position, neither high nor low, as the a in around.

n.  

    1. A nation nonaligned with either side in a war.

    2. A citizen of such a nation.

  2. One who takes no side in a controversy: "I am by disposition one of life's neutrals, a human Switzerland" (John Gregory Dunne).

  3. A neutral hue.

  4. A position in which a set of gears is disengaged so that power cannot be transmitted.


[Middle English neuteral, from Old French neutral, from Latin neutrālis, grammatically neuter, from neuter, neutr-; see neuter.]
neu'tral·ly adv.
Neu·tral   (nōō'trəl, nyōō'-)   
n.   pl. Neutral or Neu·trals

  1. A confederacy of Iroquoian-speaking Native American peoples formerly inhabiting the northern shore of Lake Erie. The Neutral were destroyed by the Iroquois in the mid-17th century.

  2. A member of this people.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1neu·tral
Pronunciation: 'n(y)ü-tr&l
Function: noun
: a neutral color

Main Entry: 2neutral
Function: adjective
1 : not decided or pronounced as to characteristics
2 a : totally lacking in saturation : ACHROMATIC b : not decided in color : nearly achromatic : of low saturation
3 : neither acid nor basic : neither acid nor alkaline; specifically : having a pH value of 7.0 neutral solution contains both hydrogen ions andhydroxide ions at the same concentration 1.00×10−7 —Linus Pauling>
4 : not electrically charged
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

neutral neu·tral (n&oomacr;'trəl, ny&oomacr;'-)
adj.

  1. Belonging to neither kind; not one thing or the other; indifferent.

  2. Of or relating to a solution or compound that is neither acidic nor alkaline.

  3. Of or relating to a compound that does not ionize in solution.

  4. Of or relating to a particle, an object, or a system that has a net electric charge of zero.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
neutral   (n'trəl)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Neither acid nor alkaline.

  2. Having no inherent or net charge, especially electric charge.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: neu·tral
Function: noun
: one that is neutral; specifically : an impartial person used in alternative dispute resolution to help resolve or to determine the matters in dispute

Main Entry: neutral
Function: adjective
: not engaged on either side; specifically : not aligned with a political or ideological grouping —neu·tral·ly adjective —neu·tral·ness noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Financial Dictionary

neutral

  1. An investment opinion that is neither bullish nor bearish. A neutral opinion for an individual stock generally indicates the stock should not be purchased or sold.

  2. Of or relating to an investment position that is likely to produce the best results if the market does not exhibit a major upward or downward movement.


Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source

Neutral

1) A term that describes an option on a security or market that is neither bullish nor bearish.

2) A term that describes a person who is non-biased in the case of a dispute, such as an arbitrator.

Investopedia Commentary

If an investor has a neutral opinion, that is, he or she feels a security or index will neither increase nor decrease in value in the near future, the investor can undertake an option strategy that may profit despite the lack of movement in the underlying security.

Related Links

Why Do Markets Move?
Market Strength Tutorial

See also: Bear, Bull, Delta Neutral, Gamma Neutral, Index, Market Neutral, Option, Security

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see neutral on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
ExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyThe Daily BeastUrbanspoonAsk AnswersBloglinesSendori