neutral

/ˈnutrəl/

Other forms: neutrals; neutrally

Commonly used to describe a person who doesn’t pick sides in disputes, neutral also pegs anything that refuses to be bold: the color beige, bland clothing, people with no preferences on where to eat for dinner.

Being neutral sounds kind of boring. But neutrality is really important in some cases: Judges, for example, must remain totally neutral when hearing a case. Manners mavens say that it's best to remain neutral when topics like politics and religion come up during a party. And boxers can look to the neutral corners in the ring to escape a punch.

Definitions of neutral

adjective
having no personal preference

“a neutral observer”

synonyms: impersonal

nonsubjective, objective
undistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena
adjective
not supporting or favoring either side in a war, dispute, or contest

Synonyms:
nonaligned
not affiliated with any faction, party, or cause
adjective
possessing no distinctive quality or characteristics

Synonyms:
neutralised, neutralized
made neutral in some respect; deprived of distinctive characteristics

viewless
not having or expressing opinions or views

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Antonyms:
positive
characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.

negative
characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features

affirmative, affirmatory
affirming or giving assent

constructive
constructing or tending to construct or improve or promote development

destructive
causing destruction or much damage

optimistic
expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds

pessimistic
expecting the worst possible outcome

affirmative, optimistic
expecting the best

constructive
emphasizing what is laudable or hopeful or to the good

antagonistic, counter
indicating opposition or resistance

perverse
marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict

supportive
furnishing support or assistance

unsupportive
not furnishing support or assistance

show more antonyms...
adjective
lacking distinguishing quality or characteristics

“a neutral personality that made no impression whatever”

Synonyms:
colorless, colourless
lacking in variety and interest
adjective
having no hue

“neutral colors like black or white”

synonyms: achromatic

argent, silver, silverish, silvery
of lustrous grey; covered with or tinged with the color of silver

ash-gray, ash-grey, ashy
of a light grey

blackish
of something that is somewhat black

black-gray, black-grey, blackish-gray, blackish-grey
of dark grey

blue-white, bluish-white, cool-white
of white tinged with blue

blue-gray, blue-grey, bluish-gray, bluish-grey
of grey tinged with blue

blue-black, bluish black
of black tinged with blue

brown-black, brownish-black
of black tinged with brown

brown-gray, brown-grey, brownish-gray, brownish-grey
of grey tinged with brown

canescent
of greyish white

chalky
of something having the color of chalk

charcoal, charcoal-gray, charcoal-grey
of a very dark grey

coal-black, jet, jet-black, pitchy, sooty
of the blackest black; similar to the color of jet or coal

cottony-white
of something as white as cotton

dull-white
of a dull shade of white

ebon, ebony
of a very dark black

gray, grayish, grey, greyish
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

gray-black, grayish-black, grey-black, greyish-black
of black tinged with grey

gray-white, grayish-white, grey-white, greyish-white
of white tinged with grey

greenish-gray, greenish-grey
of grey tinged with green

green-white, greenish-white
of white flowers tinged with green

hueless
of something totally lacking in saturation and therefore having no hue

ink-black, inky, inky-black
of the color of black ink

iron-gray, iron-grey
of the grey color of iron

lily-white
of a pure white color

milk-white
of a white the color of fresh milk

olive-gray, olive-grey
of grey tinged with olive

dark-gray, dark-grey, oxford-gray, oxford-grey
of a dark shade of grey

pearl gray, pearl grey
of a grey with a pearly tinge

pearly, pearly-white
of a white the color of pearls

pinkish-white
of white tinged with pink

purple-black, purplish-black
of black tinged with purple

purple-white, purplish-white
of white tinged with purple

red-gray, red-grey, reddish-gray, reddish-grey
of grey tinged with red

sable
of a dark somewhat brownish black

silver-gray, silver-grey, silvery-gray, silvery-grey
of grey resembling silver

silver-white, silvery-white
of a white that resembles silver

slate-black
of a black tinged with slate-grey

slate-gray, slate-grey, slatey, slaty, slaty-gray, slaty-grey, stone-gray, stone-grey
of the color of slate or granite

snow-white, snowy
of the white color of snow

soot-black, sooty-black
of the black color of soot

violet-black
of black tinged with violet

white-flowered
(of plants) having white flowers

off-white, whitish
of something having a color tending toward white

yellow-gray, yellow-grey, yellowish-gray, yellowish-grey
of grey tinged with yellow

yellow-white, yellowish-white
of a white tinged with yellow

colorless, colourless
weak in color; not colorful

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Antonyms:
chromatic
being, having, or characterized by hue

amber, brownish-yellow, yellow-brown
of a medium to dark brownish yellow color

amber-green
of green tinged with amber

amethyst
of a moderate purple color

auburn
(of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown

aureate, gilded, gilt, gold, golden
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

avocado
of the dull yellowish green of the meat of an avocado

azure, bright blue, cerulean, sky-blue
of a deep somewhat purplish blue color similar to that of a clear October sky

beige
of a light greyish-brown color

blackish-brown
of brown tinged with black

blackish-red
of red tinged with black

blae
of bluish-black or grey-blue

blue, blueish, bluish
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

blue-green, bluish green, cyan, teal
of a bluish shade of green

blue-lilac, bluish-lilac
of lavender tinged with blue

blue-purple, bluish-purple
of purple tinged with blue

blue-violet, bluish-violet
of violet tinted with blue

blushful, rosy
of blush color

bottle-green
of a dark to moderate greyish green color

bright-red, raspberry-red
of the red of fresh raspberries

bronze, bronzy
of the color of bronze

bronze-red
of red tinged with bronze

brown, brownish, chocolate-brown, dark-brown
of a color similar to that of wood or earth

brown-green, brownish-green
of green tinged with brown

brown-purple, brownish-purple
of dark purple tinted with brown

buff
of the yellowish-beige color of buff leather

buff-brown
of brown tinged with buff

canary, canary-yellow
having the color of a canary; of a light to moderate yellow

caramel, caramel brown
having the color of caramel; of a moderate yellow-brown

carnation
pink or pinkish

chartreuse
of something having the yellowish green color of Chartreuse liqueur

chestnut
(of hair or feathers) of a golden brown to reddish brown color

chestnut-brown
(of hair or feathers) of brown tinged with chestnut

copper colored, coppery
of something having the color of copper

coral
of a strong pink to yellowish-pink color

coral-red
of red tinged with coral

creamy
of the color of cream

creamy-yellow
yellow with a creamy tinge

cress green, cresson, watercress
of a moderate yellow-green color that is greener and deeper than moss green and yellower and darker than pea green

crimson-magenta
magenta tinged with crimson

crimson-purple
purple tinged with crimson

crimson-yellow
yellow tinged with crimson

dark-blue
of a dark shade of blue

deep-pink
of a deep shade of pink

deep-yellow
of something having the color of a pumpkin

dull-purple
of a dull shade of purple

dun
of a dull greyish brown to brownish grey color

earthlike
earth colored; of something having a color of soil or earth

fuscous, taupe
of something having a dusky brownish grey color

golden-yellow
of yellow tinged with gold

golden-brown
of brown tinged with gold

golden-green
of green tinged with gold

gray-blue, grayish-blue, grey-blue, greyish-blue
of blue tinged with grey

gray-brown, grayish-brown, grey-brown, greyish-brown
of brown tinged with grey

gray-green, grayish-green, grey-green, greyish-green
of green tinged with grey

gray-pink, grayish-pink, grey-pink, greyish-pink
of pink tinged with grey

dark-green, green, greenish, light-green
of the color between blue and yellow in the color spectrum; similar to the color of fresh grass

greenish-brown
of brown tinged with green

hazel
of a light brown or yellowish brown color

hazel-brown
of brown tinged with hazel

honey
of something having the color of honey

jade, jade-green
of something having the color of jade; especially varying from bluish green to yellowish green

khaki
of a yellowish brown color

lavender, lilac, lilac-colored
of a pale purple color

lavender-tinged
of something tinged with lavender

light-blue, pale blue
of a light shade of blue

lilac-blue, violet-blue
of blue tinged with lavender

lavender-pink, lilac-pink, violet-pink
of pink tinged with lavender

lilac-purple
of purple tinged with lilac

magenta
of deep purplish red

magenta pink
of pink tinged with magenta

brownish-red, maroon
of dark brownish to purplish red

maroon-purple
of purple tinged with maroon

mauve
of a pale to moderate greyish violet color

mauve-blue
of blue tinged with mauve

mauve-pink
of pink tinged with mauve

moss green, mosstone
of a moderate somewhat dull yellow-green color

mouse-colored, mouselike, mousey, mousy
of something having a drab pale brown color resembling a mouse

ocher, ochre
of a moderate orange-yellow color

olive-brown
of a brown color with a greenish tinge

drab, olive-drab
of a light brownish green color

olive
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive

orange, orangish
of the color between red and yellow; similar to the color of a ripe orange

orange-red, orangish-red
of red tinged with orange

orange-brown
of brown tinged with orange

peachy, peachy-colored, peachy-coloured
of something resembling a peach in color

peacock-blue
of bright greenish blue

pea-green
of a moderate slightly yellowish-green color

pink, pinkish
of a light shade of red

pink-lavender, pinkish-lavender
of lavender tinged with pink

pink-orange, pinkish-orange, salmon
of orange tinged with pink

pink-red
of red tinged with pink

pink-tinged
of a color tinged with pink

pink-purple, pinkish-purple
of purple tinged with pink

powder blue, powdery-blue
of a moderate to pale blue or purplish blue

purple, purplish, violet
of a color intermediate between red and blue

purple-blue, purplish-blue
of blue tinged with purple

purple-brown, purplish-brown
of brown tinged with purple

purple-green, purplish-green
of green tinged with purple

purple-lilac, purplish-lilac
of lavender tinged with purple

purple-red, purplish-red
of red tinged with purple

purple-tinged, purple-tinted
of a color tinged with purple

blood-red, carmine, cerise, cherry, cherry-red, crimson, red, reddish, ruby, ruby-red, ruddy, scarlet
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies

mahogany-red, red-brown, reddish-brown
of brown tinged with red

red-lavender, reddish-lavender
of something having a lavender color tinged with red

reddish-pink
of a pink color that is close to red

flame-orange, red-orange, reddish-orange
of orange tinged with red

red-purple, reddisn-purple
of purple tinged with red

red-violet, reddish-violet
of violet tinged with red

rosaceous, rose, roseate
of something having a dusty purplish pink color

rose-red
of a deep slightly bluish red color

rose-lavender, rose-lilac
of lavender tinged with rose

rose-mauve
of mauve tinged with rose

rose-purple, rosy-purple
of purple with a rose tinge

rose-tinged, rose-tinted
of a color tinged with rose

russet
of brown with a reddish tinge

rust, rust-brown, rusty
of the brown color of rust

rust-red, rusty-red
of a red color tinged with rust

rusty-brown
of something having the brown color of rust

sage, sage-green
of the grey-green color of sage leaves

sapphire
of something having the color of a blue sapphire

scarlet-crimson
of crimson tinged with scarlet

scarlet-pink
of pink tinged with scarlet

sea-green
of the color of the sea; bluish green

silver-blue, silvery-blue
of something having a color that is a light shiny blue

silver-green, silvery-green
of something having a color that is a light shiny green

chukker-brown, mummy-brown, snuff, snuff-brown
snuff colored; of a greyish to yellowish brown

brownish-orange, sorrel
of a light brownish color

stone
of any of various dull tannish or grey colors

straw
of a pale yellow color like straw; straw-colored

sulfur-yellow, sulphur-yellow
of something having the yellow color of sulfur

tan
of a light yellowish-brown color

tannish
of a color resembling tan

tangerine
of a strong reddish orange color

tawny, tawny-brown
of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather

ultramarine
of a brilliant pure blue to purplish blue color

umber
of the color of any of various natural brown earth pigments

Chinese-red, cinnabar, vermilion, vermillion
of a vivid red to reddish-orange color

vinaceous
of the color of wine

violet-tinged, violet-tinted
of something that is tinged with violet

white-pink
of pink tinged with white; a light tint of pink

wine-red
of something having the dark red color of red wine

xanthous, yellow, yellowish
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

yellow-beige, yellowish-beige
of beige tinged with yellow;

yellow-green
of a color midway between yellow and green

yellow-orange, yellowish-orange
of orange tinged with yellow

yellow-tinged
of a color tinged with yellow

colored, colorful, coloured
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

show more antonyms...
adjective
having no net electric charge

synonyms: electroneutral

uncharged
of a particle or body or system; having no charge
adjective
having only a limited ability to react chemically; chemically inactive

synonyms: indifferent, inert

unreactive
(chemistry) not reacting chemically
noun
one who does not side with any party in a war or dispute

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types:
fence-sitter
a person who won't take sides in a controversy

stakeholder
someone entrusted to hold the stakes for two or more persons betting against one another; must deliver the stakes to the winner

type of:
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul
a human being
noun
a disengaged position, as of gears

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type of:
gear, gear mechanism
a mechanism for transmitting motion for some specific purpose (as the steering gear of a vehicle)

Pronunciation

/ˈnutrəl/

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