# biased

/ˈbaɪəst/ (US) · /bˈaɪəst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/biased
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. prejudiced or unfair

adjective · CEFR B2

unfairly preferring one person, group, or idea over another.

For teachers: exhibiting a personal or institutional prejudice; not impartial or objective.

- The fans felt the referee was biased against their team during the final minutes.
- Critics argued that the documentary provided a biased account of the conflict by only interviewing representatives from one side.

### 2. distorted data

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing information or results that are not accurate because of a mistake in how they were collected.

For teachers: exhibiting a systematic distortion of results due to a factor not accounted for in the derivation or sampling process.

- The survey results were biased because only people who liked the product answered it.
- The researchers acknowledged that the sample was biased toward urban residents, potentially overlooking the unique challenges faced by rural communities.

## Examples

- The referee's decisions seemed biased toward the home team.
- Critics argued that the news report was biased because it only interviewed people from one political party.
- The study was criticized for using a biased sample that did not accurately represent the diverse demographics of the city's population.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.