neutral

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnjuːtɹəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈnuːtɹəl/

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”, 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.

Translations

not taking sides in a conflict such as war

• Albanian: neutral
• Arabic: محايد (muħāyed)
• Armenian: չեզոք (čʿezokʿ)
• Catalan: neutral (ca)
• Chinese: 中立 (zhōng lì)
• Czech: neutrální
• Dutch: neutraal (nl)
• Esperanto: neŭtrala (eo)
• Finnish: puolueeton
• French: neutre (fr)
• German: neutral (de)
• Greek: ουδέτερος (el) m (oudéteros)
• Hungarian: semleges (hu)

• Italian: neutrale (it)
• Japanese: 中立の (ちゅうりつの, chūritsu no)
• Korean: 중럅의 (jungnip-ui), 중립의 (jungnibui)
• Latvian: neitrāls
• Macedonian: неутрален m (neutrálen)
• Norwegian: nøytral (no)
• Polish: neutralny (pl), bezstronny (pl)
• Portuguese: neutro (pt)
• Romanian: neutru (ro), imparțial (ro)
• Russian: нейтральный (ru) (nejtrál’nyj)
• Spanish: neutral (es)
• Swedish: neutral (sv)

neither beneficial nor harmful

• Albanian: asnjanës (sq)
• Catalan: neutre
• French: neutre (fr)
• German: neutral (de)

• Greek: ουδέτερος (el) m (oudéteros)
• Hungarian: semleges (hu)
• Latvian: neitrāls

having no sex; neuter

• Albanian: asnjanës (sq)
• Armenian: չեզոք (čʿezokʿ)
• Catalan: neutre
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 無性

• French: neutre (fr)
• Greek: άφυλος m (áfylos)
• Hungarian: nem nélküli
• Korean: 중성의 (jungseong-ui)
• Macedonian: бесполен m (béspolen), среден m (sréden)

having no obvious colour; gray

• Albanian: neutral
• Catalan: neutre
• German: neutral (de)
• Greek: ουδέτερος (el) m (oudéteros)

• Hungarian: semleges (hu)
• Norwegian: nøytral (no)
• Romanian: șters (ro), cenușiu (ro)

(physics) neither positive nor negative

• Albanian: asnjanës (sq)
• Armenian: չեզոք (čʿezokʿ)
• Catalan: neutre
• Chinese: 不带电 (bù dài diàn)
• French: neutre (fr)
• German: neutral (de)

• Greek: ουδέτερος (el) m (oudéteros)
• Latvian: neitrāls
• Macedonian: неутрален m (neutrálen)
• Norwegian: nøytral (no)
• Romanian: neutru (ro) (electric)

(chemistry) neither acidic nor alkaline

• Albanian: neutral
• Catalan: neutre
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 中性 (zh)

• French: neutre (fr)
• German: neutral (de)
• Greek: ουδέτερος (el) m (oudéteros)
• Italian: neutro (it), neutrale (it)

• Latvian: neitrāls
• Norwegian: nøytral (no)
• Portuguese: neutro (pt)
• Romanian: neutru (ro) m, n
• Spanish: neutro (es)

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.
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

nonaligned state

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 中立 (zh)

• Finnish: puolueeton valtio

• German: neutraler Staat m
• Greek: ουδέτερη χώρα f (oudéteri chóra)
• Romanian: stat neutru, stat nealiniat

person who takes no side in a dispute

• Finnish: puolueeton
• German: Neutraler m
• Greek: ουδέτερος (el) m (oudéteros)

• Macedonian: неутралец (neutrálec)
• Romanian: persoană neutră

neutral hue

• Finnish: neutraali sävy
• Greek: ουδέτερος (el) m (oudéteros)

• Irish: neodrach m

position of gears

• Arabic: نقطة العطالة f (núqtit al-ʕaʈāla)
• Chinese: 空档 (kòng dǎng)
• Finnish: vapaa (fi)
• French: point mort (fr) m
• German: Leerlaufstellung f, Ruhelage f
• Greek: νεκρά (el) f (nekrá)

• Hungarian: üresjárat
• Macedonian: лер m (ler)
• Portuguese: ponto morto m
• Russian: нейтральное n (nejtrál’noje)
• Spanish: punto muerto m, punto neutral m

electrical terminal

• Finnish: nolla (fi), nollajohdin

• Romanian: conductor neutru, bornă neutră

Anagrams

• unalter

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German

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

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

External links

• neutral in Duden online

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Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /neːɵˈtrɑːl/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

neutral

1. neutral
2. (grammar) intransitive

Declension

Declension of neutral

Inflections of neutral		Absolute	Comparative	Superlative
				Attributive	Predicative
Indefinite singular	Common	neutral	neutralare		neutralast
	Neuter	neutralt
Definite singular	Masc.	neutrale		neutralaste
	All	neutrala		neutralaste
Plural		neutrala		neutralaste

Related terms

• neutralisera
• neutralitet