bias
/ˈbaɪəs/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈaɪəs] /ˈbaɪəs/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈaɪəs] /ˈbī-əs/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbaɪ.əs/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈaɪəs] /ˈbaɪ.əs/ (ame, ipa)
bias — noun
- biassingular
- biasesplural
1. An unfair tendency to support or oppose a person or group based on personal opin
An unfair tendency to support or oppose a person or group based on personal opinions rather than facts — for example, judging a job candidate by their accent instead of their skills.
The hiring manager admitted that her bias against older workers was unfair and unfounded.
collocation: bias against [group]
Judges are expected to set aside any personal bias and rule only on the evidence presented in court.
collocation: set aside bias
Several studies show that unconscious bias can shape which students receive more attention from teachers.
Antonia stopped reading the blog because every post was written with such strong political bias.
The school created a training workshop to help staff recognize their own hidden biases.
- prejudice
stronger, more hostile — involves pre-judging without facts
- partiality
milder — focuses on favoring one side
- favoritism
specifically about unfair preference for a person or group
- impartiality
fairness without personal preference
- objectivity
judgment based on facts rather than feelings
文法句型
bias against/toward/in favor of someone/something
用法筆記
Often followed by against (for negative bias) or toward/in favor of (for positive bias). Frequently used with modifiers such as racial, gender, political, or unconscious.
常見錯誤
2. A stronger interest in or liking for one subject, area, or type of thing compare
A stronger interest in or liking for one subject, area, or type of thing compared to others — for example, always choosing science fiction books over romance novels.
Min has always had a bias toward practical subjects like engineering rather than art history.
bias toward [subject]
The school's curriculum shows a clear bias for science and technology over music and drama.
bias for [subject over another]
Children often develop a bias for the kinds of food their parents cook at home.
Dewi admitted her bias toward mystery novels when choosing books for the book club.
- preference
more neutral and common in everyday speech
- leaning
suggests an inclination without being strongly committed
- bent
implies a natural talent or direction — a bent for music
文法句型
bias for/toward [preferred thing]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (PREJUDICE). In sense 2 the word carries little or no negative judgment — it simply describes a personal leaning or taste. In sense 1 the bias always involves unfairness.
常見錯誤
3. A flaw in the way data is collected or analyzed that makes the results inaccurat
A flaw in the way data is collected or analyzed that makes the results inaccurate or not representative of the full situation — for example, a survey that only asks one age group.
The survey results were unreliable because of sampling bias — only rich neighborhoods were included.
sampling bias — the most common statistical collocation
Trang noticed a bias in the experiment after realizing the control group was far too small.
The researcher redesigned the entire study to eliminate any bias from the participant selection process.
Confirmation bias leads people to only notice information that supports what they already believe.
The statistician pointed out that the poll had a systematic bias toward one political party.
- systematic error
the formal statistical term — not interchangeable in everyday speech
- distortion
broader — can refer to any misrepresentation, not just statistical
- accuracy
freedom from error in data
- objectivity
not influenced by systematic factors
文法句型
sampling bias
selection bias
confirmation bias
用法筆記
Common in academic and research contexts. Frequently appears in compound terms: selection bias, reporting bias, publication bias, recall bias. The word is uncountable when describing the concept in general ('This study suffers from bias') but countable when naming a specific kind ('several biases were identified').
常見錯誤
4. The weighted curve on one side of a lawn bowling ball, causing the ball to swerv
The weighted curve on one side of a lawn bowling ball, causing the ball to swerve sideways when rolled rather than travel straight.
The player studied the bias of each wooden bowl carefully before choosing which one to roll.
An old bowl can lose its bias over time, causing it to travel straighter than intended.
lose its bias — verb collocation
New players often struggle to predict how the bias will make the ball curve on the grass.
The greenkeeper checked that the bias of each club's bowls was within the legal limit.
文法句型
the bias of the bowl
a strong bias
用法筆記
Used exclusively in the sport of bowls (lawn bowling), which is mainly played in Britain and Commonwealth countries. Not used in ten-pin bowling.
5. The direction at a 45-degree angle across the woven threads of cloth, used in se
The direction at a 45-degree angle across the woven threads of cloth, used in sewing to create a softer drape or to fit curved body shapes.
The dress pattern instructs you to cut the silk fabric on the bias for a softer fit.
cut on the bias — core construction pattern
Shanti explained that cutting the collar on the bias helps it lie flat against the neck.
A bias-cut strip of cotton stretches more than a strip cut along the straight grain.
The pattern recommended cutting all curved panels on the bias for a better fit around the armholes.
文法句型
on the bias
cut on the bias
用法筆記
Usually appears in the phrase on the bias (prepositional phrase). Cutting on the bias allows fabric to stretch slightly along the diagonal, making it ideal for curved seams and decorative edges.
常見錯誤
6. A method of constructing garments where fabric pieces are cut diagonally across
A method of constructing garments where fabric pieces are cut diagonally across the threads so that the finished item hangs loosely and follows the natural curves of the body.
Hugo chose a dress cut on the bias for the awards ceremony because it flowed so elegantly.
The bias cut of the evening gown allowed the silk to drape smoothly without any tight seams.
bias cut — compound noun
Antonia prefers bias-cut skirts because they move with her body instead of binding at the waist.
The vintage dress from the 1930s featured a stunning bias cut that hugged the model's hips.
文法句型
cut on the bias
用法筆記
Often used in the compound noun bias-cut dress/gown/skirt. The bias cut was especially popular in 1930s fashion for its ability to create fluid, body-hugging silhouettes.
bias — verb
- biaspresent simple I / you / we / they
- biases3rd person singular
- biasing-ing form
- biasedpast simple
- biassedpast participle
1. To cause someone to have an unfair opinion or judgment about a person or thing —
To cause someone to have an unfair opinion or judgment about a person or thing — for example, letting a friendship shape a hiring decision.
The prosecutor's emotional closing speech biased the jury against the young man on trial.
bias [someone] against [target]
Yasmin worried that accepting the gift from the client would bias her judgment on the contract.
The study was biased by the fact that most participants already supported the policy being tested.
Personal friendships should never bias a manager's decision about who gets promoted.
Stephanie argued that the journalist's political views had biased the entire news report.
文法句型
bias someone/something
be biased by something
bias someone against/toward something
用法筆記
Very frequently used in the passive voice (be biased by/toward/against). The passive form biased (adjective) is actually more common in everyday English than the active verb forms.
常見錯誤
bias — adjective
- biaspositive
- more biascomparative
- most biassuperlative
1. Cut or positioned at a diagonal angle, especially across the woven threads of fa
Cut or positioned at a diagonal angle, especially across the woven threads of fabric rather than along them.
The tailor made a bias cut along the edge of the silk panel to stop it from fraying.
bias cut — compound adjective + noun
A bias seam gives the sleeve more flexibility when the wearer moves her arm.
Zuri used a bias strip of red fabric to bind the raw edges of the quilt.
The bias binding on the neckline gave the dress a clean, finished look.
- straight
along the grain of the fabric
文法句型
bias cut
bias edge
用法筆記
This adjective is almost always used attributively (before a noun) in sewing contexts: bias cut, bias binding, bias seam, bias strip, bias tape. Not used predicatively (e.g., NOT 'the cut is bias').
常見錯誤
bias — adverb
1. In a diagonal direction that crosses the threads of woven fabric at an angle rat
In a diagonal direction that crosses the threads of woven fabric at an angle rather than following them.
The dress was cut bias so that the silk would fall softly over the model's shoulders.
verb + bias (adverb) — cut bias
Talia trimmed the fabric bias to create a smooth curve around the collar of the shirt.
The pattern says to sew the panels bias so the finished dress will hang without pulling.
Stephanie cut the hem bias to allow the delicate fabric to drape more naturally at the bottom.
- diagonally
the more common adverb for general use
- obliquely
formal — rarely used for fabric
文法句型
cut bias
用法筆記
The adverb bias is used directly after certain verbs (cut, trim, sew) without a preposition. This is a specialized usage found primarily in sewing and tailoring contexts.
2. In a direction that is not straight or correct; in a slanting or crooked way.
In a direction that is not straight or correct; in a slanting or crooked way.
The painting hung bias on the wall after the children bumped into it during their game.
The whole plan went bias when the main supplier canceled their order at the last minute.
go bias — verb + adverb (go awry, go wrong)
The fence posts were set bias, so the whole line slanted toward the neighbor's property.
Yasmin noticed the shelf had been hung bias and adjusted it with a level tool.
- straight
in a direct, correct manner
文法句型
go bias
run bias
用法筆記
This is a rare and somewhat literary or dialectal use in modern English. In everyday language, words like awry, crooked, or askew are far more common. The adverb bias (sense 2) appears mainly in older or regional British texts.