/ ˈnjuːtrəl; NAmE ˈnuː-/ adjective , noun
■ adjective
IN DISAGREEMENT / CONTEST
1.
not supporting or helping either side in a disagreement, competition, etc.
SYN impartial , unbiased :
Journalists are supposed to be politically neutral.
I didn't take my father's or my mother's side; I tried to remain neutral .
IN WAR
2.
not belonging to any of the countries that are involved in a war; not supporting any of the countries involved in a war :
neutral territory / waters
Switzerland was neutral during the war.
WITHOUT STRONG FEELING
3.
deliberately not expressing any strong feeling :
'So you told her?' he said in a neutral tone of voice.
COLOUR
4.
not very bright or strong, such as grey or light brown :
a neutral colour scheme
neutral tones
CHEMISTRY
5.
neither acid nor alkaline
ELECTRICAL
6.
( abbr. N ) having neither a positive nor a negative electrical charge :
the neutral wire in a plug
► neu·tral·ly / -rəli; NAmE / adverb
•
IDIOMS
- on neutral ground / territory
■ noun
IN VEHICLE
1.
[ U ] the position of the gears of a vehicle in which no power is carried from the engine to the wheels :
to leave the car in neutral
IN DISAGREEMENT / WAR
2.
[ C ] a person or country that does not support either side in a disagreement, competition or war
COLOUR
3.
[ C ] a colour that is not bright or strong, such as grey or light brown :
The room was decorated in neutrals.
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (as a noun): from Latin neutralis of neuter gender, from Latin neuter neither, from ne- not + uter either.