v.
Pronunciation: ' nü-tr ə - ˌ l ī z, ' nyü-
Function: verb
Inflected Form: -ized ; -iz · ing
Date: 1759
transitive verb
1 : to make chemically neutral
2 a : to counteract the activity or effect of : make ineffective <propaganda that is difficult to neutralize > b : KILL , DESTROY
3 : to make electrically inert by combining equal positive and negative quantities
4 : to invest (as a territory or a nation) with conventional or obligatory neutrality conferring inviolability during a war
5 : to make neutral by blending with the complementary color
6 : to give (as a pair of phonemes) a nondistinctive form or pronunciation < \ t \ and \ d \ are neutralized when pronounced as flaps>
intransitive verb : to undergo neutralization
– neu · tral · iz · er noun