Synonyms of biased
1
: exhibiting or characterized by bias
2
: tending to yield one outcome more frequently than others in a statistical experiment
a biased coin
3
: having an expected value different from the quantity or parameter estimated
a biased estimate

biased

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of bias entry 2

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Bias vs. Biased

In recent years, we have seen more evidence of the adjectival bias in constructions like “a bias news program” instead of the more usual “a biased news program.” The reason is likely because of aural confusion: the -ed of biased may be filtered out by hearers, which means that bias and biased can sound similar in the context of normal speech. They are not interchangeable, however. The adjective that means “exhibited or characterized by an unreasoned judgment” is biased (“a biased news story”). There is an adjective bias, but it means “diagonal” and is used only of fabrics (“a bias cut across the fabric”).

Examples of biased in a Sentence

Adjective It's also politically biased, full of slighting references to the Whigs, whom Johnson detested, and imperiously chauvinistic, wherever possible dismissing or making light of words imported from French. —Charles McGrath, New York Times Book Review, 4 Dec. 2005
I am willing to believe that history is for the most part inaccurate and biased, but what is peculiar to our age is the abandonment of the idea that history could be truthfully written. In the past people deliberately lied, or they unconsciously colored what they wrote, or they struggled after the truth, well knowing that they must make many mistakes; but in each case they believed that 'the facts' existed and were more or less discoverable. —Leon Wieseltier, New Republic, 17 Feb. 2003
The information experts say that it's dangerous to conclude very much from talking to people because you will never interact with a scientifically selected random sample. Thus, the information you derive from meeting people is biased or anecdotal. —Will Manley, Booklist, 1 Mar. 2002
But even if you think I may be biased about the book's conclusions, please trust me about its awful prose. —James Martin, Commonweal, 3 May 2002
She is too biased to write about the case objectively. He is biased against women. The judges of the talent show were biased toward musical acts.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
In September 2025, the commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel rejected as politically motivated and biased. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Of course, an extra three-quarters of an inch clearance and some elastic straps do not transform a unibody, front-biased crossover into an invincible rock-crawling monster. — New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026 Across 13 experiments involving four models and nearly 8,000 trials, the researchers found that AI systems made systematic biased judgments. — Ashique Khudabukhsh, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026 If these are fragmented, biased or outdated, greater intelligence may simply scale poor judgment faster. — Babajide Ojuola, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for biased

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see bias entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of biased was in 1599

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Cite this Entry

“Biased.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biased. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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