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
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
b
: a spayed or castrated animal
neutered; neutering; neuters
Synonyms
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
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
His adoption fee includes his neuter surgery, current vaccinations, a microchip, and a follow-up wellness exam with a VCA Animal Hospital.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
The nonprofit is dedicated to promoting pet adoption, advancing spay and neuter access to pet owners, and sharing resources to help people be responsible pet parents.
—Mark Gray, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
Related Articles The Big Fix Pet Food Express has launched a new campaign, The Big Fix, dedicated to supporting spay and neuter initiatives in California.
—Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024
Their two-for-one adoption fee includes neuter surgeries, current vaccinations, microchip, and a follow-up wellness exam with a VCA Animal Hospital.
—The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024
Adoption fee: $75, including microchip registration, spay/neuter and up-to-date vaccinations and a one-year license if his new home is in the jurisdiction of San Diego Humane Society’s Department of Animal Services.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2024
The solution to the issue varies from residents who help feed the animals to private and public spay and neuter programs.
—The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
The problem has gotten bad enough in Kenton County that the Kenton County Fiscal Court commissioners decided to allocate $329,000 to hire a full-time veterinarian to spay and neuter cats.
—The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
There are also more pets that need to go through examinations, tests, vaccinations, and spay or neuter before they are adopted.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024
Public can walk through, see kennels, surgery prep Members of the public can even see preparations for surgeries, like spays and neuters, through a window in the publicly accessible part of the campus.
—Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024
Community members can adopt a pet for $14, which covers the cost of intake vaccines, microchipping, rabies vaccine, one-year dog license (for Chula Vista residents) and spay or neuter.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2024
Francis acknowledged that there is already a shortage of veterinarians nationwide, and that more and more vets work for corporations that emphasize premium pet services, rather than low-cost spay/neuter.
—Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
And there's no state laws that require spay and neuter or anything like that, but that's what saves lives is spay and neuter.
—Paige Eichkorn, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2023
Services range from dog licensing, spay and neuter, behavior and training assistance, including a free Behavior Helpline to a community pet pantry, and lost and found.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2023
The $23 adoption fee includes spay/neuter, vaccines, a 2023 dog license, microchip, and a current rabies tag.
—Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 6 Jan. 2023
David E. Sanger, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Dogs and cats adopted from one of these two municipal animal shelters will be spayed or neutered, fitted with a microchip and up-to-date on preventative vaccinations.
—Vanessa Infanzon, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
No appointment is needed to visit Arthur and Stanely, who are neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on their vaccinations.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
He is neutered, licensed, microchipped and current on vaccinations.
—The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024
According to an Instagram post from the organization, a person can donate $50 to the shelter to have a feral cat named after their ex — and then neutered.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2024
The only waiting periods associated with adopting a pet are if the animal is still in the holding period required after a stray is found (five days in Lancaster County and 72 hours for Mecklenburg County) and whether the animal has been spayed or neutered.
—Vanessa Infanzon, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
If that isn't harsh enough, the Humane Society of Warren County in Front Royal, Virginia, will name a feral cat for your ex before neutering them.
—Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024
Katara has been bafflingly neutered, her personality stripped away with little left but a girl who will apparently learn how to water-bend very quickly and who says mildly inspiring things about helping people.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Adoption fee: $100, including microchip registration, spay/neuter and up-to-date vaccinations, and a one-year license if his new home is in the jurisdiction of San Diego Humane Society’s Department of Animal Services.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
His adoption fee includes his neuter surgery, current vaccinations, a microchip, and a follow-up wellness exam with a VCA Animal Hospital.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
The nonprofit is dedicated to promoting pet adoption, advancing spay and neuter access to pet owners, and sharing resources to help people be responsible pet parents.
—Mark Gray, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
Related Articles The Big Fix Pet Food Express has launched a new campaign, The Big Fix, dedicated to supporting spay and neuter initiatives in California.
—Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024
Their two-for-one adoption fee includes neuter surgeries, current vaccinations, microchip, and a follow-up wellness exam with a VCA Animal Hospital.
—The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024
Adoption fee: $75, including microchip registration, spay/neuter and up-to-date vaccinations and a one-year license if his new home is in the jurisdiction of San Diego Humane Society’s Department of Animal Services.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2024
The solution to the issue varies from residents who help feed the animals to private and public spay and neuter programs.
—The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
The problem has gotten bad enough in Kenton County that the Kenton County Fiscal Court commissioners decided to allocate $329,000 to hire a full-time veterinarian to spay and neuter cats.
—The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
The county contracts with an in-house vet that spays and neuters cats because the animal shelter doesn't have enough resources to provide surgeries themselves.
—The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
There are also more pets that need to go through examinations, tests, vaccinations, and spay or neuter before they are adopted.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024
Public can walk through, see kennels, surgery prep Members of the public can even see preparations for surgeries, like spays and neuters, through a window in the publicly accessible part of the campus.
—Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024
Community members can adopt a pet for $14, which covers the cost of intake vaccines, microchipping, rabies vaccine, one-year dog license (for Chula Vista residents) and spay or neuter.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2024
Francis acknowledged that there is already a shortage of veterinarians nationwide, and that more and more vets work for corporations that emphasize premium pet services, rather than low-cost spay/neuter.
—Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
And there's no state laws that require spay and neuter or anything like that, but that's what saves lives is spay and neuter.
—Paige Eichkorn, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2023
Services range from dog licensing, spay and neuter, behavior and training assistance, including a free Behavior Helpline to a community pet pantry, and lost and found.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2023
The $23 adoption fee includes spay/neuter, vaccines, a 2023 dog license, microchip, and a current rabies tag.
—Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 6 Jan. 2023
Verb
Iran’s capability — which seemed neutered, at least for a while, after Mr. Obama struck a nuclear deal in 2015 — has surged back since President Donald J. Trump abandoned that deal three years later.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Dogs and cats adopted from one of these two municipal animal shelters will be spayed or neutered, fitted with a microchip and up-to-date on preventative vaccinations.
—Vanessa Infanzon, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
No appointment is needed to visit Arthur and Stanely, who are neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on their vaccinations.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
He is neutered, licensed, microchipped and current on vaccinations.
—The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024
According to an Instagram post from the organization, a person can donate $50 to the shelter to have a feral cat named after their ex — and then neutered.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2024
The only waiting periods associated with adopting a pet are if the animal is still in the holding period required after a stray is found (five days in Lancaster County and 72 hours for Mecklenburg County) and whether the animal has been spayed or neutered.
—Vanessa Infanzon, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
If that isn't harsh enough, the Humane Society of Warren County in Front Royal, Virginia, will name a feral cat for your ex before neutering them.
—Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024
Katara has been bafflingly neutered, her personality stripped away with little left but a girl who will apparently learn how to water-bend very quickly and who says mildly inspiring things about helping people.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neuter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of neuter was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near neuter
Cite this Entry
“Neuter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neuter. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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 noun1
a
: a word or form of the neuter gender
b
: the neuter gender
2
neuter
3 of 3 verb
Medical Definition
neuter
1 of 2 noun
neu·ter
ˈn(y)üt-ər
: a spayed or castrated animal (as a cat)
More from Merriam-Webster on neuter
Nglish: Translation of neuter for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of neuter for Arabic Speakers
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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