biasnoun
uk/ˈbaɪ.əs/us/ˈbaɪ.əs/bias noun (PREFERENCE)
C2 [ C usually singular, U ] the action of supporting or opposing a particular person or thing in an unfair way, because of allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment:
The senator has accused the media of bias.
Reporters must be impartial and not show political bias.
There was clear evidence of a strong bias against her.
There has always been a slight bias in favour of/towards employing liberal arts graduates in the company.
Unconscious bias (= that the person with the bias is not aware of) can influence decisions in recruitment, promotion, and performance management.
[ C usually singular ] the fact of preferring a particular subject or thing:
She showed a scientific bias at an early age.
More examples
- The radio station was said to have a strong left-wing bias.
- Have you noticed any bias in the reporting of the Middle East situation in the media?
- There was a clear racial bias in the selection of candidates.
- The teacher seems to have a bias towards the girls in her class.
- This is a clear example of the bias found in historical accounts of the war.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Unfairness and favouring someone unfairly
- ableism
- arbitrary
- be a bit much idiom
- biased
- blue-eyed boy
- ghettoize
- hate crime
- inequitable
- inequity
- injustice
- prejudicial
- sexism
- sexist
- shortchange
- slant
- unfair
- unjust
- unprovoked
- unsportsmanlike
- you're having a laugh idiom
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
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bias noun (CLOTHING)
[ U ] specialized fabrics a direction at an angle across the threads of woven material:
The dresses in his new winter collection are all cut on the bias (= in a diagonal direction across the cloth).
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Textiles: general words
- baize
- bolt
- brocade
- cloth
- cutpiece
- denier 1
- drapery
- fabric
- filament
- gauze
- lint
- nap
- padding
- pile
- strand
- textile
- the weft
- upholstery
- wadding
- warp
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biasverb [ T ]
uk/ˈbaɪ.əs/us/ˈbaɪ.əs/-s- or UK also -ss-to cause someone or something to have a bias:
The judge ruled that the information should be withheld on the grounds that it would bias the jury against the accused.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
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- each
- fave
- favour
- favourite
- favourite son
- give
- give me ... any day/every time! idiom
- lief
- prefer
- preferable
- preferably
- preference
- preferred
- rather
- soon
- top ten
- would
- would (just) as soon idiom