Yahoo Web Search

Search results

1. Dictionary

   Bi·as

   /ˈbīəs/

   

   noun

   • 1. prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair: "there was evidence of bias against foreign applicants" Similar prejudicepartialitypartisanshipfavoritismunfairnessone-sidednessbigotryintoleranceracismracialismsexismheterosexismhomophobiachauvinismanti-Semitismdiscriminationa jaundiced eyepredispositionleaningtendencyinclinationpropensityproclivitypronenesspredilectionparti prisOpposite objectivityfairnessimpartiality
   • ▪ a concentration on or interest in one particular area or subject: "he worked on a variety of Greek topics, with a discernible bias toward philosophy"
   • ▪ (in South Korean entertainment, especially K-pop) a person's favorite pop star, pop group, actor, etc., or favorite member of a pop group: "I'm a fan of Blackpink and my bias is Jennie"
   • 2. a systematic distortion of a statistical result due to a factor not allowed for in its derivation.
   • 3. a direction diagonal to the weave of a fabric: "a turquoise silk dress cut on the bias" Similar diagonalcrossslantobliqueangle
   • 4. in some sports, such as lawn bowling, the irregular shape given to a ball.
   • ▪ the oblique course taken by a ball as a result of its irregular shape.
   • 5. a steady voltage, magnetic field, or other factor applied to an electronic system or device to cause it to operate over a predetermined range.

   verb

   • 1. cause to feel or show inclination or prejudice for or against someone or something: "the search results are biased by the specific queries used"
   • 2. distort (a statistical result); introduce bias into (a method of sampling, measurement, analysis, etc.).
   • 3. give a bias to.

   Word Origin mid 16th century (in the sense ‘oblique line’; also as an adjective meaning ‘oblique’): from French biais, from Provençal, perhaps based on Greek epikarsios ‘oblique’.

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • B

     3

   • I

     1

   • A

     1

   • S

     1

   Powered by Oxford Languages

   More Definitions, Word Origin & ScrabbleShow less