bias

An unfair preference for or against a person or group that affects your judgment.

• The judge showed no bias.
• The study found gender bias in hiring.
• Can we remove political bias from these reports?

How to use it: bias against someone/something (The report revealed bias against older workers.); bias towards someone/something (The selection process showed a bias towards wealthy applicants.)

Similar words: prejudice, partiality

Opposites: impartiality

Common phrases: racial bias, gender bias, bias against someone, bias towards someone

A tendency to prefer or move towards something.

• The course has a practical bias.
• Their research has a strong bias towards biology.
• Our design shows a natural bias towards simplicity.

How to use it: bias towards something (The course has a bias towards practical work.)

Similar words: inclination, tendency, preference

Common phrases: bias towards something, natural bias, strong bias

The direction across woven cloth at an angle to its threads.

• The skirt is cut on the bias.
• Cutting on the bias helps the fabric stretch.
• She used bias tape around the neckline.

How to use it: on the bias (Cut the fabric on the bias.)

Common phrases: on the bias, bias cut, bias tape

An electrical current or voltage applied to a device to set how it operates.

• The circuit needs a stable bias voltage.
• Adjust the bias before testing the amplifier.
• Too much bias current can damage the transistor.

Common phrases: bias voltage, bias current, transistor bias

To influence a decision, opinion, or result so that it unfairly favors one side.

• The questions may bias the results.
• Her comments biased the jury against him.
• The survey was biased towards younger customers.

How to use it: bias someone against someone/something (The rumors biased voters against the candidate.); bias something towards something (The questions biased the results towards positive answers.)

Similar words: influence, prejudice, skew

Common phrases: bias the results, bias someone against, bias the sample, bias your judgment

At an angle across something, rather than straight along its length or width.

• Cut the cloth bias.
• The tailor cut these strips bias.
• Fabric cut bias stretches more easily.

Similar words: diagonally, crosswise, obliquely

Common phrases: cut something bias, cut bias