biases
|bi/as/es|
/ˈbaɪ.əs/
(bias)
inclination or prejudice
Etymology
'bias' originates from 'Old French' / 'Old Provençal', specifically the word 'biais', where the sense was 'slant' or 'oblique direction'.
'bias' entered Middle English from Old French/Old Provençal 'biais' (meaning 'slant'), and over time the word was used in English to describe both physical slants and figurative tendencies, becoming the modern word 'bias'.
Initially, it meant 'a slant or oblique direction', but over time it evolved to include the current meanings of 'preference, prejudice, or systematic distortion'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'bias': a tendency to favor one person, group, idea, or thing over another in an unfair way; prejudices or partialities.
The hiring committee's biases made it difficult for new applicants to get interviews.
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Noun 2
plural of 'bias': systematic errors or distortions in measurement, data, or analysis that produce incorrect or skewed results.
Researchers must account for possible biases in the dataset before drawing conclusions.
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Verb 1
third-person singular present of 'bias': to influence someone or something in a particular, often unfair, direction; to cause partiality.
The article biases readers by presenting only one side of the argument.
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Last updated: 2026/01/11 05:00