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Preposition after adjective

Biased towards, against, or in?

Use biased towards for preference or support, and biased against for unfair opposition. Biased in is not a standard pattern for expressing opinion or prejudice.

Quick answer

How do you use biased with prepositions?

Biased towards means showing preference for something. Biased against means unfairly negative toward something. Biased in is not normally used as a complement after biased.

The article seemed biased towards large companies.
Some voters are biased against new policies.
The judge must not appear biased towards either side.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
biased towards + person/idea

Showing preference or support

Use towards when someone favours a person, group, or idea.

The committee was biased towards experienced candidates.
He is biased towards practical solutions.
2
biased against + person/group

Showing unfair opposition

Use against when someone unfairly dislikes or discriminates against others.

The system appeared biased against younger workers.
3
biased towards + outcome

Describing imbalance in results or systems

Towards can also describe statistics, systems, or reporting that favour one side.

The survey was biased towards urban respondents.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
biased towards
The coverage seemed biased towards the government.
Shows preference or favourable treatment.
biased against
The hiring process was biased against older applicants.
Shows unfair opposition or prejudice.
biased in
The report was biased in favour of one side.
Biased in alone is not standard; use in favour of as a separate phrase.
biased in favour of
The editor was biased in favour of shorter articles.
Standard alternative meaning supportive of something.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using biased in without another phrase

Biased in is incomplete in this meaning.

✕ The article was biased in the company. ✓ The article was biased towards the company.

Confusing towards and against

Towards shows support, while against shows opposition.

✕ The policy is biased against local businesses and helps them. ✓ The policy is biased towards local businesses.

Using biased for

For is less natural than towards or in favour of in this context.

✕ She is biased for one candidate. ✓ She is biased towards one candidate.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The newspaper was biased ___ the ruling party.
2. Many people felt the rules were biased ___ temporary staff.
3. Which option is not a standard standalone pattern?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between biased towards and biased against?

Biased towards means favouring something. Biased against means unfairly opposing it.

Can I say biased in?

Not usually by itself. English more often uses biased towards, biased against, or biased in favour of.

Is biased always negative?

It often suggests unfairness or lack of neutrality, especially in formal contexts.

bad, for, bad, of baffling to, for, in, as or of? bankrupt in, by, for, as or with? "barefoot in" or "barefoot on"? "bare of", "bare with" or "bare in"? "basic of" or "basic to"? beautiful in, with, on, for or to? beholden to, for or on? "beloved by", "beloved to" or "beloved of"? "bemused by" or "bemused at"? "beneficial to" or "beneficial for"? bereft of, at, by, in or without?

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