neutral

UK: /ˈnjuːtrəl/ US: /ˈnutrəl, ˈnju-/ ,(no̅o̅′trəl, nyo̅o̅′-)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

neu•tral /ˈnutrəl, ˈnyu-/   adj. 

1. Government not taking part or giving assistance in a disagreement, dispute, or war between others:
   a neutral nation.
2. of no particular kind, characteristics, etc.:
   a neutral personality.
3. (of a color or shade)
   • having no hue;
     being black, gray, beige, or white in color.
4. Physics
   • (of particles) having no electric charge.
5. being in the position or state of not being attached to wheels or of not providing moving power to another part:
   the neutral gear in a car's transmission.

n. 

6. Government a person or nation that is neutral:
   [countable] Sweden was a neutral during World War II.
7. Automotive [uncountable] a neutral gear.
8. [countable] a neutral color.

neu•tral•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

neu•tral  (no̅o̅′trəl, nyo̅o̅′-), adj. 

1. Government not taking part or giving assistance in a dispute or war between others:
   a neutral nation during World War II.
2. Government not aligned with or supporting any side or position in a controversy:
   The arbitrator was absolutely neutral.
3. Government 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)
   • gray;
     without hue;
     of zero chroma;
     achromatic.
   • matching well with many or most other colors or shades, as white or beige.
6. Zoology, Genetics, Botany [Bot., Zool.] 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
   • (of a particle) having no charge.
   • (of an atom, molecule, collection of particles, fluid, or solid) having no net charge;
     electroneutral;
     not electrified.
   • not magnetized.
10. Phonetics (of a vowel) pronounced with the tongue relaxed in a central position, as the a in alive;
    reduced.

n. 

11. Government a person or a nation that remains neutral, as in a controversy or war.
12. Government a citizen of a neutral nation during a war.
13. Automotive [Mach., Auto.] the position or state of disengaged gears or other interconnecting parts:
    in neutral.
14. a neutral color.

• Latin neutrālis grammatically neuter. See neuter, -al¹
• late Middle English 1400–50

neu′tral•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 2. impartial, disinterested, dispassionate, uninvolved, unbiased.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

neutral / ˈnjuːtrəl/ adjective

1. not siding with any party to a war or dispute
2. of, belonging to, or appropriate to a neutral party, country, etc
3. (of a colour such as white or black) having no hue; achromatic
4. (of a colour) dull, but harmonizing with most other colours
5. a less common term for neuter2
6. neither acidic nor alkaline
7. having zero charge or potential
8. (of a vowel) articulated with the tongue relaxed in mid-central position and the lips midway between spread and rounded: the word "about" begins with a neutral vowel

noun

1. a neutral person, nation, etc
2. a citizen of a neutral state
3. the position of the controls of a gearbox that leaves the transmission disengaged

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin neutrālis; see neuter

ˈneutrally adverb