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Synonyms

biased

American  
[bahy-uhst] / ˈbaɪ əst /
especially British, biassed

adjective

  1. having or showing bias or prejudice.

    They gave us a biased report on immigration trends.


Other Word Forms

  • biasedly adverb
  • nonbiased adjective

Etymology

Origin of biased

First recorded in 1605–15; bias + -ed 2

Explanation

When a skirt is cut at an angle, with one side higher than the other, it has a bias cut. Being biased is kind of lopsided too: a biased person favors one side or issue over another. While biased can just mean having a preference for one thing over another, it also is synonymous with "prejudiced," and that prejudice can be taken to the extreme. Sometimes a person is so biased, or is leaning so far in one direction, that it's hard to see the other position, creating unfairness in an argument or decision. Often, though, it's used more lightly: "My mom makes the best brownies in the world, but I might be a little biased."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing biased

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ollie: Yeah, just because sometimes they know how… it's easy to speak to your friends and stuff when they come and watch you, but they've got a biased opinion.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

“We call on them to withdraw from this biased forum.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Oftentimes their input is biased in some way by those that feed the AI beast.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Small-cap stocks work for Citi’s Goldilocks-type economy that they see ahead, given those equities are biased toward cyclical industries such as financials, industrials and consumer discretionary.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

Shouldn’t the focus be on improving ourselves, rather than challenging a biased system?

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander