negate

verb

ne·​gate ni-ˈgāt 

negated; negating

transitive verb

1

: to deny the existence or truth of

… negated and denied her own honest reactions …

—Sara H. Hay

2

: to cause to be ineffective or invalid

Alcohol can negate the effects of some medicines.

negate noun

negator

ni-ˈgā-tər 

noun

Synonyms of negate

• deny
• refute
• reject

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

Ryder Treadway, who ended up with two catches and 33 yards, had a 24-yard catch-and-run taken off the board after a holding call, as did returning Husky Shamar Porter, who had a 23-yard gain negated. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026

The second of those holds negated a first down and eventually forced them to punt. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026

In its bleakest moments, the novel suggests that the ordeal of being gay in a venomously bigoted society negates its bounty. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

The success of Ukraine’s drone campaign, too, has negated the need for a costly ground offensive, Major Brovdi argues. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2026

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

Rhymes for negate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

negate

verb

ne·​gate ni-ˈgāt 

negated; negating

1

: to deny the existence or truth of

2

: to cause to be ineffective or invalid

the discovery negates all previous theories