NEUTRAL


Meaning of NEUTRAL in English

/ 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.

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WORD ORIGIN

late Middle English (as a noun): from Latin neutralis of neuter gender, from Latin neuter neither, from ne- not + uter either.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.