neutralism

1 of 2

noun (1)

neu·​tral·​ism ˈnü-trə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce neutralism (audio)
ˈnyü-
Synonyms of neutralismnext
1
: neutrality
2
: a policy or the advocacy of neutrality especially in international affairs
neutralist
ˈnü-trə-list How to pronounce neutralism (audio)
ˈnyü-
noun
neutralistic
ˌnü-trə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce neutralism (audio)
ˌnyü-
adjective

neutralist

2 of 2

noun (2)

neu·​tral·​ist -lə̇st How to pronounce neutralist (audio)
plural -s
1
: a professor or practicer of neutrality
2
: one that favors the neutralization of a state or region
neutralistic
¦⸗⸗¦listik How to pronounce neutralist (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of neutralism

Relevance

Noun (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of neutralism in a Sentence

Noun (1) his neutralism in the matter is questionable, since he owns thousands of shares in the company
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Globalizing impulses helped bring about a flourishing of neutralism. — Leo Robson, The New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2016 India, an avatar of forceful neutralism early on, saw its influence diminished by regional conflict and domestic troubles. — Erez Manela, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of neutralism was in 1579

Rhymes for neutralism

See All Rhymes for neutralism

Browse Nearby Words

neutralise
neutralism
neutralist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Neutralism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neutralism. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

neutralism

noun
neu·​tral·​ism ˈn(y)ü-trə-ˌliz-əm How to pronounce neutralism (audio)
: a policy of neutrality in international affairs

More from Merriam-Webster on neutralism

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about neutralism

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All