Main Entry: ¹neg·a·tive

Pronunciation: \ˈneg-ət-iv\

Function: adjective

1 : marked by denial, prohibition, or refusal <received a negative answer>
2 : marked by features (as hostility, withdrawal, or pessimism) that hinder or oppose constructive treatment or development <a negative outlook>
3 a : being, relating to, or charged with electricity of which the electron is the elementary unit b : having more electrons than protons <negative ions> c (1) : having lower electrical 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
4 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>
5 : having the light and dark parts in approximately inverse relation to those of the original photographic subject

—neg·a·tive·ly adverb