negative

play

adjective neg·a·tive \ ˈne-gə-tiv \

Definition of negative

1 a :marked by denial, prohibition, or refusal

received a negative answer

; also :marked by absence, withholding, or removal of something positive

the negative motivation of shame
—Garrett Hardin

b (1) :denying a predicate (see ¹predicate 1a) of a subject or a part of a subject

"no A is B" is a negative proposition

(2) :denoting the absence or the contradictory of something

nontoxic is a negative term

(3) :expressing negation

negative particles such as no and not

c :adverse, unfavorable

the reviews were mostly negative

2 a :lacking positive qualities; especially :disagreeable

a colorless negative personality

b :marked by features of hostility, withdrawal, or pessimism (see pessimism 1) that hinder or oppose constructive treatment or development

a negative outlook

negative criticism

c :promoting a person or cause by criticizing or attacking the competition

ran a negative campaign

negative advertising

3 a (1) :less than zero and opposite in sign to a positive (see ¹positive 4e) number that when added to the given number yields zero

−2 is a negative number

(2) :having more outgo than income :constituting a loss

negative cash flow

negative worth

b :extending or generated in a direction opposite to an arbitrarily chosen regular direction or position

negative angle

4 a :being, relating to, or charged with electricity of which the electron is the elementary unit

b :having more electrons than protons

a negative ion

c (1) :having lower electric potential (see ¹potential 2b) and constituting the part toward which the current (see ²current 3) flows from the external circuit

the negative pole

(2) :being the electron-emitting electrode (see electrode 2) of an electron tube

5 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

c :less than the pressure of the atmosphere

negative pressure

6 :having the light and dark parts in approximately inverse (see ¹inverse 1) relation to those of the original photographic subject

7 of a lens :diverging (see diverge 1) light rays and forming a virtual inverted image

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negatively

adverb

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negativeness

noun

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negativity

play \ˌne-gə-ˈti-və-tē\ noun

See negative defined for English-language learners

See negative defined for kids

Examples of negative in a Sentence

Car exhaust has a negative effect on the environment.
the negative effects of the drug
The feedback about the new product was all negative.

Recent Examples of negative from the Web

That means patients who test negative can skip the PET scan, and their doctors can look into other causes of cognitive problems.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Alzheimer's diagnosis often mistaken, but new blood test may improve accuracy," 19 July 2017
Podnar shoots dry ice pellets, which sit at a frosty temperature of around negative minus-180-degrees Fahrenheit, at the object's surface.

— victoria dawson, Smithsonian, "Conservation of a Pair of Saint-Gaudens Goes al Fresco at the Freer," 18 July 2017
More than 30 community members will serve on a task force charged with recommending ways the city of Birmingham can lessen the negative effects of gentrification on its neighborhoods.

— erin edgemon, AL.com, "More than 30 join Birmingham gentrification task force, other members sought," 18 July 2017
Since first raising the idea, the city counsilman admits the feedback has been mostly negative.

— CBS News, "Why one Ohio lawmaker wants first responders to ignore opioid overdose calls," 17 July 2017
The deal underlines a quiet revival in a sport that has more than its fair share of negative headlines in recent years.

— geoffrey smith, Fortune, "Apollo Spends $1.1 Billion to Make Golf Great Again," 10 July 2017
When School District U46 tested three dozen of its buildings for lead in drinking water in the spring, Willard Elementary School in South Elgin reported the second-highest number of negative drinking water samples.

— rafael guerrero, Elgin Courier-News, "High lead levels found in District U46 drinking water," 10 July 2017
Her sisters got tested first — her older sister tested positive and her younger sister tested negative.

— megan friedman, Cosmopolitan, "Bachelor Alum Lesley Murphy Is Sharing Raw Photos of Her Double Mastectomy and Breast Implant Surgery," 5 July 2017
Media polls show that the German press ran the most negative appraisals of Trump of all global news (98 percent of all coverage was critical).

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "Lord Ismay, NATO, and the Old-New World Order," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'negative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of negative

15th century

negative Synonyms

Synonyms

adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, mortal, hostile, unfriendly, unsympathetic

Antonyms

friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic

Near Antonyms

affable, amiable, amicable, civil, companionable, comradely, convivial, cordial, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, gregarious, neighborly, pleasant, sociable, social, warm; affectionate, devoted, kind, kindly, loving, nice, sweet; accepting, agreeable, approving, benign, empathetic, favorable, understanding, warmhearted, welcoming

negative

noun

Definition of negative

1 a (1) :a reply that indicates the withholding of assent :refusal

(2) archaic :a right of veto

(3) obsolete :an adverse vote :veto

b :a proposition which denies or contradicts another; especially :the one of a pair of propositions in which negation is expressed

2 a :something that is the opposite or negation of something else

b :drawback, liability

3 a :an expression (such as the word no) of negation or denial

b :a negative number

4 :the side that upholds the contradictory proposition in a debate

5 :a negative photographic image on transparent material used for printing positive pictures; also :the material that carries such an image

6 :a reverse impression taken from a piece of sculpture or ceramics

7 :a negative result (as of a test)

a high rate of false negatives

; also :a test yielding such a result

— in the negative

:with a negative reply :with a reply that means "no"

He answered in the negative.

See negative defined for English-language learners

Examples of negative in a Sentence

“No” and “not” are negatives.
Can I have the negatives to make copies of the photos?

Recent Examples of negative from the Web

With shoulder surgery sidelining Luck in camp this year, the negatives are overshadowing an excellent individual 2016 season.

— scott horner, Indianapolis Star, "Why Colts QB Andrew Luck is ranked just below the elite level by ESPN," 23 Aug. 2017
Also at Monday’s meeting, the council will consider having staff organize a community workshop for residents and property and business owners to hear the benefits and negatives of short-term rentals, which currently are not permitted in the city.

— ben brazil, Daily Pilot, "Ban on recreational marijuana businesses heads to Huntington Beach council," 18 Aug. 2017
Though rare, false negatives also can occur and have proved tragic.

— author: jan hoffman, Alaska Dispatch News, "Is this dog dangerous? U.S. shelters struggle with live-or-die tests," 1 Aug. 2017
Some staffers also questioned her loyalties and fed negatives stories about her to publications like Breitbart.

— kayleigh roberts, Cosmopolitan, "8 Things to Know About Katie Walsh, the RNC Superstar Who Had a Brief Stint at the White House," 21 July 2017
But at this point, Blum says, the negatives still outweigh the positives.

— elaine godfrey, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: Sean Voyage," 21 July 2017
But to me, the pros of public reporting outweigh the negatives.

— anna gorman, sacbee, "California hits nerve by singling out cardiac surgeons with higher patient death rates," 18 July 2017
But to me, the pros of public reporting outweigh the negatives.

— anna gorman, sacbee, "California hits nerve by singling out cardiac surgeons with higher patient death rates," 18 July 2017
But to me, the pros of public reporting outweigh the negatives.

— anna gorman, Kaiser Health News, "Calif. Hits Nerve By Singling Out Cardiac Surgeons With Higher Patient Death Rates," 17 July 2017

First Known Use of negative

1571

negative Synonyms

Synonyms

nay, no, non placet

Antonyms

positive, yea, yes

Related Words

con; blackball, veto; denial, negation, refusal

Near Antonyms

pro; acceptance, approval, grace

negative

verb

Definition of negative

negatived; negativing

transitive verb

1 a :to refuse assent to

b :to reject by or as if by a vote

2 :to demonstrate the falsity of

3 :to deny the truth, reality, or validity of

4 :neutralize, counteract

Examples of negative in a Sentence

although the rebuttal was very eloquent, the jury negatived it in favor of the prosecution's argument
we promptly negatived the idea of having pizza again for dinner, noting that we had already had it for three nights that week

First Known Use of negative

1706

negative Synonyms

Synonyms

blackball, down, kill, nix, shoot down, veto

Antonyms

confirm, ratify

Related Words

decline, disallow, disapprove, dismiss, refuse; blacklist

Near Antonyms

admit, allow, approve, assent (to), pass, sanction; elect, support

NEGATIVE Defined for English Language Learners

negative

play

adjective

Definition of negative for English Language Learners

: harmful or bad : not wanted
: thinking about the bad qualities of someone or something : thinking that a bad result will happen : not hopeful or optimistic
: expressing dislike or disapproval

negative

noun

Definition of negative for English Language Learners

: something that is harmful or bad
: a word or statement that means “no” or that expresses a denial or refusal
: an image on film that is used to make a printed photograph and that has light areas where the photograph will be dark and dark areas where the photograph will be light; also : the film that has such an image

NEGATIVE Defined for Kids

negative

play

adjective neg·a·tive \ ˈne-gə-tiv \

Definition of negative for Students

1 :emphasizing the bad side of a person, situation, or thing

a negative attitude

Whenever I ask her how she's doing, her reply is negative.

2 :not positive

His test results came back negative.

3 :less than zero and shown by a minus sign

−2 is a negative number.

4 :being the part toward which the electric current flows from the outside circuit

the negative pole of a storage battery

5 :of, being, or relating to electricity of which the electron is the unit and which is produced in a hard rubber rod that has been rubbed with wool

a negative charge

6 :having more electrons than protons

a negative particle

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negatively

adverb

—

negativity

\ˌne-gə-ˈti-və-tē\ noun

Word Root of negative

The Latin word negāre, meaning “to deny” or “to say no,” and its form negātus give us the root neg. Words from the Latin negāre have something to do with saying no. Anything negative, such as a reply to a question, denies something or responds by saying no. To renege is to go back on, or deny, an agreement or promise. Even the last letters of deny, to declare something to be false, come from negāre.

negative

noun

Definition of negative for Students

1 :a part of something which is harmful or bad

Consider the negatives of quitting school.

2 :an expression (as the word no) that denies or says the opposite

3 :the side that argues or votes against something

4 :a photographic image on film from which a final picture is made

Medical Dictionary

negative

adjective neg·a·tive \ ˈneg-ət-iv \

medical Definition of negative

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

—

negatively

adverb

negative

noun

medical Definition of negative

1 :a negative photographic image on transparent material used for printing positive pictures; also :the material that carries such an image

2 :a negative result (as of a test); also :a test yielding such a result

Learn More about negative

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for negative Spanish Central: Translation of negative Nglish: Translation of negative for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of negative for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about negative

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negativity

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negative

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negative

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NEGATIVE Defined for English Language Learners

negative

Definition of negative for English Language Learners

negative

Definition of negative for English Language Learners

NEGATIVE Defined for Kids

negative

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negatively

negativity

Word Root of negative

negative

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negative

medical Definition of negative

negatively

negative

medical Definition of negative

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