neuter

1 of 3

adjective

neu·​ter ˈnü-tər 

ˈnyü-

1

a

: of, relating to, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to things classed as neither masculine nor feminine

b

: neither active nor passive : intransitive

2

: taking no side : neutral

3

: lacking or having imperfectly developed or nonfunctional generative organs

neuter

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the neuter gender

b

: the neuter gender

2

: one that is neutral

3

a

: worker sense 2

b

: a spayed or castrated animal

neuter

3 of 3

verb

neutered; neutering; neuters

transitive verb

1

: to castrate or spay (an animal) : alter

a neutered cat

2

: to remove the force or effectiveness of (someone or something)

Democrats say those changes would effectively neuter the bureau and hand the financial industry yet another victory over the little guy.

—Michael Crowley

Synonyms

Verb

• alter
• desex
• fix

Examples of neuter in a Sentence

Adjective

The pronoun “it” is neuter.

Verb

She had her dog neutered by the veterinarian.

The bill was neutered by the changes made by the legislature.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Caldwell hopes this story helps Mary and her pups find forever families in the future and encourages animal lovers to spay and neuter their pets. —Kelli Bender, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024

That operation raised confidence within Israeli intelligence agencies that — should Mr. Netanyahu make good on threats to attack Iran’s nuclear sites — the Israeli military could help neuter Hezbollah’s ability to retaliate. —Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024

Noun

There are even brackets for spays/neuters as well as household pets and moggies (a mixed-breed cat). —Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 25 Oct. 2024

Even more crucial, the narrative’s creamy charm neuters the greater matters that the movie evokes: crises of faith. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024

Verb

Gentle' Felix has since been neutered, and in her most recent video, Amanda revealed the newest addition to the family had finally been given free reign in the house, having previously been kept apart from her other cat, Darcy Tortilla. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025

An adoption fee covers the cost of ensuring the dogs are spayed or neutered, dewormed, microchipped, and up to date on their shots, Ms. Szalay says, adding that the organization’s veterinary bills still end up being thousands of dollars each month. —Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English neutre, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French neutre, from Latin neuter, literally, neither, from ne- not + uter which of two — more at no, whether entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

neuter

1 of 3 adjective

neu·​ter ˈn(y)üt-ər 

1

: relating to or being the class of words that ordinarily includes most of those referring to things that are neither male nor female

a neuter noun

the neuter gender

2

: lacking sex organs

also : having imperfectly developed sex organs

neuter

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: a word or form of the neuter gender

b

: the neuter gender

2

: worker sense 2

neuter

3 of 3 verb

: castrate, alter sense 2

Medical Definition

neuter

1 of 2 noun

neu·​ter ˈn(y)üt-ər 

: a spayed or castrated animal (as a cat)

neuter

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to castrate or spay (an animal) : alter