negate

verb

ne·​gate ni-ˈgāt How to pronounce negate (audio)
negated; negating

transitive verb

1
: to deny the existence or truth of
negated and denied her own honest reactionsSara H. Hay
2
: to cause to be ineffective or invalid
Alcohol can negate the effects of some medicines.
negate noun
negator noun
Choose the Right Synonym for negate

nullify, negate, annul, abrogate, invalidate mean to deprive of effective or continued existence.

nullify implies counteracting completely the force, effectiveness, or value of something.

a penalty nullified the touchdown

negate implies the destruction or canceling out of each of two things by the other.

the arguments negate each other

annul suggests making ineffective or nonexistent often by legal or official action.

the treaty annuls all previous agreements

abrogate is like annul but more definitely implies a legal or official act.

a law to abrogate trading privileges

invalidate implies making something powerless or unacceptable by declaration of its logical or moral or legal unsoundness.

the court invalidated the statute

Examples of negate in a Sentence

The fact that she lied about her work experience negated the contract. a verb that is negated by “not”
Recent Examples on the Web Notably, having what the researchers considered a healthy diet didn’t negate that risk. Maggie O'Neill, Health, 20 Mar. 2024 The most discouraging stat: 28.1 shooting overall and just 22.6 percent inside the arc, negating a season-high 20 offensive rebounds and only eight turnovers. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 The foul negated a potential momentum swing and allowed the 49ers to reset and fend off the Shockers, securing an 11-point win in front of 4,215 Charlotte fans. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 18 Feb. 2024 Jayden Schwartz negated the power play when he was penalized for slashing at 4:28. Scott Charles, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024 The pair quickly specified that Deadpool & Wolverine will not negate the events of 2017's Logan, which previously appeared to be the final time Jackman intended to reprise that role. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 11 Feb. 2024 With the positive economic news recently, attitudes won’t negate the money consumers have in their bank accounts. Bill Conerly, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Lynn Williams seemed to have converted that early pressure into a second-minute goal, only for an offside call on Sophia Smith to negate it. Jason Anderson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 The officials instantly called a technical foul, which was negated after review, on Williams. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'negate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin negātus, past participle of negāre "to say (with the negative of a conjoined clause), deny, withhold, say no," delocutive derivative of nec "no, not" — more at neglect entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of negate was circa 1623

Dictionary Entries Near negate

Cite this Entry

“Negate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

negate

verb
ne·​gate ni-ˈgāt How to pronounce negate (audio)
negated; negating
1
: to deny the existence or truth of
2
: to cause to be ineffective or invalid
the discovery negates all previous theories

More from Merriam-Webster on negate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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