BIAS Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'bias' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bias are predilection , prejudice , and prepossession . While all these words mean "an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something," bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing. // a strong bias toward the plaintiff

Q: Where would 'predilection' be a reasonable alternative to 'bias'?

While in some cases nearly identical to bias , predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience. // a predilection for travel

Q: When can 'prejudice' be used instead of 'bias'?

The synonyms prejudice and bias are sometimes interchangeable, but prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance. // a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

Q: When is it sensible to use 'prepossession' instead of 'bias'?

While the synonyms prepossession and bias are close in meaning, prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it. // a prepossession against technology

bias 1 of 3

noun

ˈbī-əs

Definition of bias next

as in prejudice

an attitude that always favors one way of feeling or acting especially without considering any other possibilities he has a powerful bias towards sentimentality, which comes through even in his grittier stories

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in tendency

a habitual attraction to some activity or thing from her youth she revealed a strong bias toward a life of the mind

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bias

2 of 3

adverb

as in diagonally

in a line or direction running from corner to corner made of fabric cut bias

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bias

3 of 3

verb

as in to turn

to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge bad reviews biased her against the movie, even though it starred one of her favorite actors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun bias contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bias are predilection, prejudice, and prepossession. While all these words mean "an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something," bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing.

a strong bias toward the plaintiff

Where would predilection be a reasonable alternative to bias?

While in some cases nearly identical to bias, predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience.

a predilection for travel

When can prejudice be used instead of bias?

The synonyms prejudice and bias are sometimes interchangeable, but prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance.

a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

When is it sensible to use prepossession instead of bias?

While the synonyms prepossession and bias are close in meaning, prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

a prepossession against technology

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of bias

Noun

Trump and his conservative allies alleged that the network had edited the answer to mask her incompetence in an act of partisan bias. —

David Folkenflik, NPR, 6 Feb. 2025 Indeed, there may be a slight league-wide bias towards giving superstar quarterbacks the benefit of the doubt. —

Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2025

Verb

The book was, beneath its judicious and even-handed surface, biased against Didion to an outrageous degree, and the book was, behind its admiring posture toward her, violent toward her. —

Lili Anolik, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024 Neither will a symbolic gesture from the bench of a judge whom Trump and many of his supporters believe is biased against him. —

Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for bias

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bias

Noun

What to Know On Friday, the plaintiff submitted paperwork to voluntarily dismiss the case with prejudice.

— Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
However, due to a clerical error, the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the charges without prejudice, allowing for the case to be refiled if new evidence surfaced.

— Nayeli Jaramillo-Plata, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025

Definition of prejudice

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“Bias.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bias. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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Last Updated: 20 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences

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Synonyms of bias

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adverb

verb

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