Bias


a particular tendency, trend, inclination, feeling, or opinion, especially one that is preconceived or unreasoned: illegal bias against older job applicants; the magazine’s bias toward art rather than photography;
our strong bias in favor of the idea.
unreasonably hostile feelings or opinions about a social group; prejudice:
accusations of racial bias.
an oblique or diagonal line of direction, especially across a woven fabric.
Statistics. a systematic as opposed to a random distortion of a statistic as a result of sampling procedure.
Lawn Bowling.

a slight bulge or greater weight on one side of the ball or bowl.
the curved course made by such a ball when rolled.

Electronics. the application of a steady voltage or current to an active device, as a diode or transistor, to produce a desired mode of operation.
a high-frequency alternating current applied to the recording head of a tape recorder during recording in order to reduce distortion.
cut, set, folded, etc., diagonally:
This material requires a bias cut.
in a diagonal manner; obliquely; slantingly:
to cut material bias.
to cause to hold or exhibit a particular bias; to influence, especially unfairly: a tearful plea designed to bias the jury;
a survey biased toward highly educated people.
Electronics. to apply a steady voltage or current to (the input of an active device).
on the bias,

in the diagonal direction of the cloth.
out of line; slanting.

flourished 570 b.c, Greek philosopher, born in Ionia.
the ancient Greek personification of force: daughter of Pallas and Styx and sister of Cratus, Nike, and Zelos.
Contemporary Examples

Show Me Your Papers Before You Pee? It Could Happen in Arizona Tricia Romano March 19, 2013
Media Hype About Mitt Romney’s Iowa Showing Is Wrong Peter Beinart January 3, 2012
More Fact Checker Fail Megan McArdle October 18, 2012
Unconsidered Trifles: Found Comedy in the Age of Social Media Tom Doran March 29, 2013
Remembrance of Things Past Megan McArdle September 30, 2012

Historical Examples

Life of Johnson James Boswell
England and Germany Emile Joseph Dillon
Friends in Council Arthur Helps
War Letters of a Public-School Boy Paul Jones.
The Truth About Woman C. Gasquoine Hartley

noun
mental tendency or inclination, esp an irrational preference or prejudice
a diagonal line or cut across the weave of a fabric
(electronics) the voltage applied to an electronic device or system to establish suitable working conditions
(bowls)

a bulge or weight inside one side of a bowl
the curved course of such a bowl on the green

(statistics)

an extraneous latent influence on, unrecognized conflated variable in, or selectivity in a sample which influences its distribution and so renders it unable to reflect the desired population parameters
if T is an estimator of the parameter θ, the expected value of (T–θ)

an inaudible high-frequency signal used to improve the quality of a tape recording
adjective
slanting obliquely; diagonal: a bias fold
adverb
obliquely; diagonally
verb (transitive) -ases, -asing, -ased, -asses, -assing, -assed
(usually passive) to cause to have a bias; prejudice; influence
n.

For what a man had rather were true he more readily believes. Therefore he rejects difficult things from impatience of research; sober things, because they narrow hope; the deeper things of nature, from superstition; the light of experience, from arrogance and pride, lest his mind should seem to be occupied with things mean and transitory; things not commonly believed, out of deference to the opinion of the vulgar. Numberless in short are the ways, and sometimes imperceptible, in which the affections colour and infect the understanding. [Francis Bacon, “Novum Organum,” 1620]

v.
Bachelor of Industrial Administration
Brain Injury Association
Bureau of Indian Affairs

Read Also:

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    a crime, usually violent, motivated by prejudice or intolerance toward an individual’s national origin, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. Contemporary Examples Pressuring Journalists Won’t Protect Transgender People James Kirchick January 21, 2014 Wisconsin Sikh Massacre Reveals Need for Domestic Antiterrorism Unit Errol Louis August 7, 2012 Sanford Protesters Demand Arrest […]

  • Bias binding

    noun a strip of material cut on the bias for extra stretch and often doubled, used for binding hems, interfacings, etc, or for decoration

  • Bias-ply tire

    a vehicle tire in which the main plies or cords run across the bead.

  • Biased

    having or showing bias or prejudice: They gave us a biased report on immigration trends. a particular tendency, trend, inclination, feeling, or opinion, especially one that is preconceived or unreasoned: illegal bias against older job applicants; the magazine’s bias toward art rather than photography; our strong bias in favor of the idea. unreasonably hostile feelings […]

  • Biasedly

    having or showing bias or prejudice: They gave us a biased report on immigration trends. adj.


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