verb
neutralize
NOO-truh-lyze/ˈnuːtrəlaɪz/
To cancel an effect or make something ineffective.
Unplugging the faulty lamp neutralizes its immediate electrical threat.
Etymology
To make something neutral was, in chemistry, to leave it neither acidic nor alkaline. This developed into the broader idea of counterbalancing something so that it no longer has an effect.
In context
pancreatic secretions also include bicarbonate which is a base that functions to neutralize the acidity of the gastric juice
More examples
- Their speed neutralizes the other team's size advantage.
- These headphones neutralize background noise with opposing sound waves.
- The antibodies neutralized the virus before it infected healthy cells.
Forms
neutralize · neutralizes · neutralized · neutralizing
neutralization noun — The process of making something ineffective.
neutralizer noun — A substance or device that counteracts effects.
Similar words
- counteract
- Opposes an effect without necessarily canceling it out completely.
- nullify
- Makes something invalid or without effect, especially legally.
- offset
- Balances an effect with an opposing force or advantage.