bias
noun OPAL W
/ˈbaɪəs/
/ˈbaɪəs/
- [uncountable, countable, usually singular] a strong feeling in favour of or against one group of people, or one side in an argument, often not based on fair judgement
- accusations of political bias in news programmes (= that reports are unfair and show favour to one political party)
- Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias.
- Some institutions still have a strong bias against women.
- The article examines gender bias in our schools.
Wordfinder- bias
- discriminate
- equal
- feminism
- homophobia
- human right
- marginalize
- persecute
- race
- society
Collocations Race and immigrationRace and immigrationPrejudice and racism- experience/encounter racism/discrimination/prejudice/anti-semitism
- face/suffer persecution/discrimination
- fear/escape from/flee racial/political/religious persecution
- constitute/be a form of racial/race discrimination
- reflect/reveal/show/have a racial/cultural bias
- be biased/be prejudiced against (especially British English) black people/(both especially North American English) people of color/African Americans/Asians/Africans/Indians, etc.
- discriminate against minority groups/minorities
- perpetuate/conform to/fit/defy a common/popular/traditional/negative stereotype
- overcome/be blinded by deep-seated/racial/(especially North American English) race prejudice
- entrench/perpetuate racist attitudes
- hurl/shout (especially British English) racist abuse; (especially North American English) a racist/racial/ethnic slur
- challenge/confront racism/discrimination/prejudice
- combat/fight (against)/tackle blatant/overt/covert/subtle/institutional/systemic racism
- damage/improve (especially British English) race relations
- practise (racial/religious) tolerance/segregation
- bridge/break down/transcend cultural/racial barriers
- encourage/promote social integration
- outlaw/end discrimination/slavery/segregation
- promote/embrace/celebrate cultural diversity
- conform to/challenge/violate (accepted/established/prevailing/dominant) social/cultural norms
- live in a multicultural society
- attack/criticize multiculturalism
- fight for/struggle for/promote racial equality
- perpetuate/reinforce economic and social inequality
- introduce/be for/be against (British English) positive discrimination/(especially North American English) affirmative action
- support/be active in/play a leading role in the civil rights movement
- control/restrict/limit/encourage immigration
- attract/draw a wave of immigrants
- assist/welcome refugees
- house/shelter refugees and asylum seekers
- smuggle illegal immigrants into the UK
- deport/repatriate illegal immigrants/failed asylum seekers
- assimilate/integrate new immigrants
- employ/hire migrant workers
- exploit/rely on (cheap/illegal) immigrant labour
- apply for/gain/obtain/be granted/be denied (full) citizenship
- have/hold dual citizenship
Extra ExamplesTopics Opinion and argumentb2, Social issuesb2- Bias often creeps in through the wording of questions.
- The newspaper has a clear bias towards the Conservative Party.
- There is a systematic bias in favour of employers in this country.
- He claims that America's media has a liberal bias.
- Claims of left-wing bias in teaching materials seem to be unfounded.
- It's difficult for any of us to look at a situation without some form of cultural bias.
- There is plenty of evidence of gender bias in the classroom.
- Many golf clubs are bastions of class bias.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- clear
- definite
- marked
- …
- have
- demonstrate
- display
- …
- creep in
- exist
- occur
- …
- with bias
- without bias
- with a bias
- …
- [countable, usually singular] an interest in one thing more than others; a special ability
- The course has a strong practical bias.
- Leila had a marked scientific bias.
- In British universities there was a bias towards pure science.
- [uncountable, countable] the fact that the results of research or an experiment are not accurate because a particular factor has not been considered when collecting the information
- If a response rate is low, the risk of bias in the findings will be greater.
Extra ExamplesTopics Scientific researchc1- We have now tried to correct the bias in our original report.
- The data was checked for potential biases.
- [uncountable, singular] the bias of a piece of cloth is an edge cut diagonally across the threads
- The skirt is cut on the bias.
- a bias strip
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘oblique line’; also as an adjective meaning ‘oblique’): from French biais, from Provençal, perhaps based on Greek epikarsios ‘oblique’.