Plural of Bias | Definition & Examples

The plural of bias is biases, pronounced [bahy-uh-siz]. Biases is a regular plural noun that follows regular pluralization rules, which add “-s” or “-es” to the end of the singular form to make the plural form.

Biases in a sentence example
The researcher found several biases in the study.

The committee discussed the political biases influencing the media.

What is the plural of bias?

Bias is singular, and biases is plural. The word bias refers to an inclination, prejudice, preference, or preconceived notion either for or against something. The word biases refers to more than one bias.

Bias and biases in a sentence examples
The journalist tried to report the news without any bias.

The group discussed how their biases might affect the outcome of the project.

Note
A few sources list “biasses” as a possible plural form of “bias.” This may be a remnant of a spelling difference between UK and US English (similar to, for example, modeling vs. modelling and traveling vs. travelling).

However, no context exists—whether using UK or US English—where “biasses” is correct. Biasses is an obsolete and incorrect spelling of biases.

  • It’s impossible to completely remove one’s biases, but it’s worth trying.
  • We must address the unconscious biasses that influence our behavior.

Regular and irregular plurals

Plural nouns typically follow either regular or irregular pluralization rules. The majority of nouns in English follow regular pluralization rules, which create the plural form by adding “-s” or “-es” to the end of the singular form (e.g., cat/cats and wish/wishes).

Regular plural noun examples
Singular Plural
car cars
window windows
dish dishes

Irregular pluralization rules are less predictable and often depend on the word’s origins. For example, Greek-derived words have different pluralization rules than Latin-derived words, as do Old English–derived words. Ultimately, the only way to know which nouns follow regular pluralization rules and which follow irregular pluralization rules is by memorizing them.

Irregular plural noun examples
Singular Plural
goose geese
person people
tooth teeth

Frequently asked questions about the plural of bias

What does “biases” mean?

Biases are preconceived notions or opinions that influence how one thinks and acts, often in a subjective way. They tend to come from unconscious assumptions from past personal experiences and cultural norms and can influence our thoughts and behaviors in a variety of contexts.

Biases is the plural form of bias. There are many different types of bias that are important to identify in research settings, and biases are also frequently evident in everyday life.

Scribbr’s free Paraphrasing Tool can help you choose the right words in your writing.

What is the pronunciation of “biases”?

The pronunciation of biases is [bahy-uh-siz]. Biases is the plural of bias and is a regular plural noun, formed by adding “-es” to the base word. Its ending is pronounced like other regular plural nouns (e.g., “dresses,” “foxes”), not like the irregular plurals theses or diagnoses.

Scribbr’s free Grammar Checker will ensure you’re using plural nouns correctly.

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Cove, R. (2024, October 08). Plural of Bias | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/plurals/bias-plural/

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Ryan Cove

Ryan has an academic background in psychology, focusing on industrial/organizational psychology and neuroscience. Despite this focus, he has been a content writer and editor for five years. His favorite thing about this career is researching and writing about a wide variety of topics.