bias
noun
uk/ˈbaɪəs/ us [ C, usually singular or U ]
the fact of allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment in an unfair way:
In her view, none of the interview panel had shown any bias.
gender/racial bias a federal law prohibiting gender and racial bias in employment
bias against sb/sth The email suggested a clear bias against American products.
bias in favour of sb/sth The company showed a marked bias in favour of employing men.
a clear/definite/strong bias
[ C, usually singular ]
the fact of preferring someone or something:
bias towards sb/sth In general, investment trusts have more of a bias towards emerging markets, including the Far East.
[ C or U ]
the fact that information is not correct because of the method used in collecting or presenting it:
In the market research there was a bias in the sample of people who were selected to give their opinions.
There is a need to build in safeguards against statistical bias.
[ C or U ] FINANCE
the fact of prices, etc. increasing or decreasing:
Interest rates are set to have an upward bias in the next 12 months.
a negative/downward bias
a positive/upward bias