neutral

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈnuː.tɹəl/ UK /ˈnjuː.tɹəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #8002

Meanings

1

adj
Not supporting either side in an argument or conflict.

Switzerland stayed neutral during the war.
2

adj
Having no strong colour, feature, or quality; not noticeable.

They painted the walls in neutral colours like beige and grey.
3

noun
The position of the gears in a vehicle in which no power goes to the wheels.

He put the car in neutral and rolled down the hill.
4

noun
A person who does not take sides in a dispute.

As a neutral, she was asked to judge the debate fairly.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not supporting either side... impartial unbiased

2 adj · having no strong colour,... achromatic

Word family

Forms neutrals

Derived forms antineutralcarbon-neutralcircumneutralelectroneutralethno-neutralgender-neutralimmunoneutralmetal-neutralnet-neutralneutralinoneutralismneutralist

Etymology

From Middle French neutral (compare modern French neutre), from Latin neutrālis. By surface analysis, neuter + -al.

neutral Middle French neutrālis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# neutral

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈnuː.tɹəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈnjuː.tɹəl/
**Frequency rank:** 8002

## Meanings
1. Not supporting either side in an argument or conflict.
2. Having no strong colour, feature, or quality; not noticeable.
3. The position of the gears in a vehicle in which no power goes to the wheels.
4. A person who does not take sides in a dispute.

## Examples
- Switzerland stayed neutral during the war.
- They painted the walls in neutral colours like beige and grey.
- He put the car in neutral and rolled down the hill.
- As a neutral, she was asked to judge the debate fairly.

## Derived Forms
- antineutral
- carbon-neutral
- circumneutral
- electroneutral
- ethno-neutral
- gender-neutral
- immunoneutral
- metal-neutral
- net-neutral
- neutralino
- neutralism
- neutralist

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: neutral
- Root: neutrālis

## Etymology
From Middle French neutral (compare modern French neutre), from Latin neutrālis. By surface analysis, neuter + -al.

## AI Etymology
Neutral comes from Middle French neutral (compare modern French neutre), from Latin neutrālis. By surface analysis, neuter + -al. The historical chain includes Middle French neutral and Latin neutrālis. Modern senses include not supporting either side in an argument or conflict and having no strong colour, feature, or quality; not noticeable. The wider word family includes derivatives such as antineutral, carbon-neutral, circumneutral, electroneutral, ethno-neutral, and gender-neutral.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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