The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word NEUTRAL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
N
E
U
T
R
A
L
More clues leading to the result NEUTRAL
- Make changes to turn ale pale in colour
- Nervy, with hint of tension inside? That's not marked
- Indifferent motorists are still in this
- Indifferent sound of original track one released
- Colourless individual not taking sides
- Ne plus ultra unusually dull
- Play tune by artist originally labelled ‘unremarkable‘
- Indifferent state in which vehicle’s left parked
- Essentially, only describing time touring Utah as indifferent
- Impartial head of Ireland ignored in new EU test
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Colourless/individual not taking sides" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case colourless/individual not taking sides = neutral.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NEUTRAL mean?
NEUTRAL noun- A nonaligned state, or a member of such a state.
- A person who takes no side in a dispute.
- An individual or entity serving as an arbitrator or adjudicator.
- A neutral hue.
- The position of a set of gears in which power cannot be transmitted to the drive mechanism.
- An electrical terminal or conductor which has zero or close to zero voltage with respect to the ground.
- Not taking sides in a conflict such as war; nonaligned.
- Favouring neither the supporting nor opposing viewpoint of a topic of debate; unbiased.
- (grammar) Neither positive nor negative.
- Neither beneficial nor harmful.
- Having no sex; neuter.
- Having no obvious colour; gray
- Neither positive nor negative; possessing no charge or equivalent positive and negative charge such that there is no imbalance.
- Having a pH near 7, neither acidic nor alkaline.