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

• contradict
• deny
• disaffirm
• disallow
• disavow
• disclaim
• disconfirm
• disown
• gainsay
• negative
• refute
• reject
• repudiate

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

With a majority of the roster already under team control, the Phoenix front office ran it back in 2021-22, with the only significant contract move being a 4-year, $120 million extension with Paul, negating the $44 million player option Paul had available heading into the year. —Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025

What's more, earlier studies found that poor sleep could negate the benefits to brain health gained through exercise. —New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2025

The fact that a president serves a third term, or even a fourth term, does not somehow negate the constitutional framework all presidents must operate under. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025

The new tariffs — adding levies of 20 percent on the European Union, 34 percent on China and more — essentially negate the logic behind the global supply chains underpinning the fashion industry. —Evan Clark, Footwear News, 3 Apr. 2025

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