verb
- Make politically neutral and thus inoffensive.
- usage: "The treaty neutralized the small republic"
- Make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of.
- usage: "Her optimism neutralizes his gloom"; "This action will negate the effect of my efforts"
- synonyms: neutralise, nullify, negate
- Oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions.
- usage: "This will counteract the foolish actions of my colleagues"
- synonyms: counteract, countervail, counterbalance
- Get rid of (someone who may be a threat) by killing.
- usage: "The mafia liquidated the informer"; "the double agent was neutralized"
- synonyms: neutralise, liquidate, waste, knock off, do in
- Make incapable of military action.
- synonyms: neutralise
- Make chemically neutral.
- usage: "She neutralized the solution"
- synonyms: neutralise
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). neutralize. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/neutralize/definitions/1297293 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "neutralize" http://smartdefine.org/neutralize/definitions/1297293 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, neutralize, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/neutralize/definitions/1297293>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "neutralize" 23 October 2010. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/neutralize/definitions/1297293> |