neutral

See also: neutrál

English

Etymology

From Middle French neutral (compare modern French neutre), from Latin neutralis.

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈnjuːtɹəl/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈnuːtɹəl/, [ˈnuːt͡ʃɹəl]
  • Audio (US)(file)

Adjective

neutral (comparative more neutral, superlative most neutral)

  1. Not taking sides in a conflict such as war; nonaligned.
  2. Favouring neither the supporting nor opposing viewpoint of a topic of debate; unbiased.
    I am neutral regarding the issue of gay marriage.
    • Shaftesbury
      The heart can not possibly remain neutral, but constantly takes part one way or the other.
  3. (grammar) Neither positive nor negative.
  4. Neither beneficial nor harmful.
    • Sir J. Davies
      Some things good, and some things ill, do seem, / And neutral some, in her fantastic eye.
    • 2013 May-June, David Van Tassel, Lee DeHaan, “Wild Plants to the Rescue”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:
      Plant breeding is always a numbers game. […] The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, […]. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. These rarities may be new mutations, or they can be existing ones that are neutral—or are even selected against—in a wild population. A good example is mutations that disrupt seed dispersal, leaving the seeds on the heads long after they are ripe.
  5. (biology) Having no sex; neuter.
  6. Having no obvious colour; gray
  7. (physics) Neither positive nor negative; possessing no charge or equivalent positive and negative charge such that there is no imbalance.
  8. (chemistry) Having a pH near 7, neither acidic nor alkaline.

Synonyms

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun

neutral (plural neutrals)

  1. A nonaligned state, or a member of such a state.
  2. A person who takes no side in a dispute.
    • 1931, “Which Side Are You On?”, performed by Florence Patton Reece:
      They say in Harlan County / There are no neutrals there / You'll either be a union man / Or a thug for J.H. Blair.
  3. An individual or entity serving as an arbitrator or adjudicator (jargon / legal).
  4. A neutral hue.
  5. The position of a set of gears in which power cannot be transmitted to the drive mechanism.
  6. An electrical terminal or conductor which has zero or close to zero voltage with respect to the ground.

Translations

Anagrams

Catalan

Adjective

neutral (masculine and feminine plural neutrals)

  1. neutral

Danish

Adjective

neutral

  1. neutral

Inflection
Inflection of neutral
Positive Comparative Superlative
Common singular neutral — —2
Neuter singular neutralt — —2
Plural neutrale — —2
Definite attributive1 neutrale — —
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

German

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /nɔɪ̯ˈtʀaːl/
  • audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective

neutral (comparative neutraler, superlative am neutralsten)

  1. neutral

Declension
Positive forms of neutral
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative er ist neutral sie ist neutral es ist neutral sie sind neutral
strong declension
(without article)		 nominative neutraler neutrale neutrales neutrale
genitive neutralen neutraler neutralen neutraler
dative neutralem neutraler neutralem neutralen
accusative neutralen neutrale neutrales neutrale
weak declension
(with definite article)		 nominative der neutrale die neutrale das neutrale die neutralen
genitive des neutralen der neutralen des neutralen der neutralen
dative dem neutralen der neutralen dem neutralen den neutralen
accusative den neutralen die neutrale das neutrale die neutralen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article)		 nominative ein neutraler eine neutrale ein neutrales (keine) neutralen
genitive eines neutralen einer neutralen eines neutralen (keiner) neutralen
dative einem neutralen einer neutralen einem neutralen (keinen) neutralen
accusative einen neutralen eine neutrale ein neutrales (keine) neutralen
Comparative forms of neutral
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative er ist neutraler sie ist neutraler es ist neutraler sie sind neutraler
strong declension
(without article)		 nominative neutralerer neutralere neutraleres neutralere
genitive neutraleren neutralerer neutraleren neutralerer
dative neutralerem neutralerer neutralerem neutraleren
accusative neutraleren neutralere neutraleres neutralere
weak declension
(with definite article)		 nominative der neutralere die neutralere das neutralere die neutraleren
genitive des neutraleren der neutraleren des neutraleren der neutraleren
dative dem neutraleren der neutraleren dem neutraleren den neutraleren
accusative den neutraleren die neutralere das neutralere die neutraleren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article)		 nominative ein neutralerer eine neutralere ein neutraleres (keine) neutraleren
genitive eines neutraleren einer neutraleren eines neutraleren (keiner) neutraleren
dative einem neutraleren einer neutraleren einem neutraleren (keinen) neutraleren
accusative einen neutraleren eine neutralere ein neutraleres (keine) neutraleren
Superlative forms of neutral
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative er ist am neutralsten sie ist am neutralsten es ist am neutralsten sie sind am neutralsten
strong declension
(without article)		 nominative neutralster neutralste neutralstes neutralste
genitive neutralsten neutralster neutralsten neutralster
dative neutralstem neutralster neutralstem neutralsten
accusative neutralsten neutralste neutralstes neutralste
weak declension
(with definite article)		 nominative der neutralste die neutralste das neutralste die neutralsten
genitive des neutralsten der neutralsten des neutralsten der neutralsten
dative dem neutralsten der neutralsten dem neutralsten den neutralsten
accusative den neutralsten die neutralste das neutralste die neutralsten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article)		 nominative ein neutralster eine neutralste ein neutralstes (keine) neutralsten
genitive eines neutralsten einer neutralsten eines neutralsten (keiner) neutralsten
dative einem neutralsten einer neutralsten einem neutralsten (keinen) neutralsten
accusative einen neutralsten eine neutralste ein neutralstes (keine) neutralsten

Further reading

Spanish

Alternative forms

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /neuˈtɾal/, [neu̯ˈt̪ɾal]

Adjective

neutral (plural neutrales)

  1. neutral

Swedish

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /neːɵˈtrɑːl/
  • Audio(file)

Adjective

neutral

  1. neutral
  2. (grammar) intransitive[1]

Declension
Inflection of neutral
Indefinite Positive Comparative Superlative2
Common singular neutral neutralare neutralast
Neuter singular neutralt neutralare neutralast
Plural neutrala neutralare neutralast
Definite Positive Comparative Superlative
Masculine singular1 neutrale neutralare neutralaste
All neutrala neutralare neutralaste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.
2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.

References
  1. Transitiv in Nordisk familjebok (2nd ed., 1919)
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