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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jamie’s meeting with Ellis Steele and Sarah confirms his plans for the next few weeks: to reinstate the lease John negated as governor, subpoena John’s will, start the process to resume construction on Market Equities’ developments, and run for governor in a special election. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024 Alexander-Walker’s defensive impact was negated by the elite shot-making of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 16 Nov. 2024 Earlier in the day, Trump campaigned in Gastonia, N.C. While the vast majority of public polling shows a razor-thin race between Trump and Harris, the former president negated the notion of a close race. Julia Manchester, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024 The offsetting penalties negated a first down for the Chargers, but galvanized the team on its first touchdown drive of the game, a 15-play, 90-yard march that ended with a one-yard run by Dobbins. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for negate 

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 4 Dec. 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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