Dictionary
1negative
adjective neg·a·tive \ˈne-gə-tiv\
: harmful or bad : not wanted
: thinking about the bad qualities of someone or something : thinking that a bad result will happen : not hopeful or optimistic
: expressing dislike or disapproval
Full Definition of NEGATIVE
1
a : marked by denial, prohibition, or refusal <received a negative answer>; also : marked by absence, withholding, or removal of something positive <the negative motivation of shame — Garrett Hardin> b (1) : denying a predicate of a subject or a part of a subject <“no A is B” is a negative proposition> (2) : denoting the absence or the contradictory of something <nontoxic is a negative term> (3) : expressing negation <negative particles such as no and not> c : adverse, unfavorable <the reviews were mostly negative>
2
a : lacking positive qualities; especially : disagreeable b : marked by features of hostility, withdrawal, or pessimism that hinder or oppose constructive treatment or development <a negative outlook> <negative criticism> c : promoting a person or cause by criticizing or attacking the competition <ran a negative campaign> <negative advertising>
3
a (1) : less than zero and opposite in sign to a positive number that when added to the given number yields zero <−2 is a negative number> (2) : having more outgo than income : constituting a loss <negative cash flow> <negative worth> b : extending or generated in a direction opposite to an arbitrarily chosen regular direction or position <negative angle>
4
a : being, relating to, or charged with electricity of which the electron is the elementary unit b : having more electrons than protons <a negative ion> c (1) : having lower electric potential and constituting the part toward which the current flows from the external circuit <the negative pole> (2) : being the electron-emitting electrode of an electron tube
5
a : not affirming the presence of a condition, substance, or organism suspected to be present; also : having a test result indicating the absence especially of a condition, substance, or organism <she is HIV negative> b : directed or moving away from a source of stimulation <negative tropism> c : less than the pressure of the atmosphere <negative pressure>
6
: having the light and dark parts in approximately inverse relation to those of the original photographic subject
7
of a lens : diverging light rays and forming a virtual inverted image
— neg·a·tive·ly adverb
— neg·a·tive·ness noun
— neg·a·tiv·i·ty \ˌne-gə-ˈti-və-tē\ noun
See negative defined for English-language learners
See negative defined for kids
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First Known Use of NEGATIVE
15th century
Related to NEGATIVE
- Synonyms
- adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, mortal, hostile, unfriendly, unsympathetic
- Antonyms
- friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic
2negative
noun
: something that is harmful or bad
: a word or statement that means “no” or that expresses a denial or refusal
: an image on film that is used to make a printed photograph and that has light areas where the photograph will be dark and dark areas where the photograph will be light; also : the film that has such an image
Full Definition of NEGATIVE
1
3
a : an expression (as the word no) of negation or denial b : a negative number
4
: the side that upholds the contradictory proposition in a debate
5
: a negative photographic image on transparent material used for printing positive pictures; also : the material that carries such an image
6
: a reverse impression taken from a piece of sculpture or ceramics
7
: a negative result (as of a test) <a high rate of false negatives>; also : a test yielding such a result
See negative defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of NEGATIVE
1571
3negative
verb
negativednegativ·ing
Definition of NEGATIVE
transitive verb
1
a : to refuse assent to b : to reject by or as if by a vote
2
: to demonstrate the falsity of
3
: to deny the truth, reality, or validity of
4
First Known Use of NEGATIVE
1706
NEGATIVE Defined for Kids
1negative
adjective neg·a·tive \ˈne-gə-tiv\
Definition of NEGATIVE for Kids
1
: emphasizing the bad side of a person, situation, or thing <a negative attitude> <Whenever I ask her how she's doing, her reply is negative.>
2
: not positive <His test results came back negative.>
3
: less than zero and shown by a minus sign <−2 is a negative number.>
4
: being the part toward which the electric current flows from the outside circuit <the negative pole of a storage battery>
5
: of, being, or relating to electricity of which the electron is the unit and which is produced in a hard rubber rod that has been rubbed with wool <a negative charge>
6
: having more electrons than protons <a negative particle>
— neg·a·tive·ly adverb
— neg·a·tiv·i·ty \ˌne-gə-ˈti-və-tē\ noun
Word Root of NEGATIVE
The Latin word negāre, meaning “to deny” or “to say no,” and its form negātus give us the root neg. Words from the Latin negāre have something to do with saying no. Anything negative, such as a reply to a question, denies something or responds by saying no. To renege is to go back on, or deny, an agreement or promise. Even the last letters of deny, to declare something to be false, come from negāre.
2negative
noun
Definition of NEGATIVE for Kids
1
: a part of something which is harmful or bad <Consider the negatives of quitting school.>
2
: an expression (as the word no) that denies or says the opposite
3
: the side that argues or votes against something
4
: a photographic image on film from which a final picture is made
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