negatives 1 of 2

plural of negative
1
as in vetoes
a vote or decision against something in the absence of an unambiguous negative from the commander, we decided to continue on the mission

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2
as in opposites
something that is as different as possible from something else the desire to control another person is actually the negative of real love

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3

negatives

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of negative
1
as in downs
to reject by or as if by a vote 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

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of negatives
Noun
Ball and Arnaz took a substantial pay cut in exchange for full ownership of the show’s negatives. Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026 There were positives and negatives in a 17-13 defeat that helped clarify Washington’s 53-man roster outlook. Tashan Reed, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2026 By refusing to dwell solely on the negatives and problems, Lopez said positive reappraisal can help people be more nimble, flexible and adaptive to challenges. Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Restored at the TransPerfect Media laboratory from the 35mm image and sound negatives. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026 Balancing those positives and negatives takes careful architecture between the data, the AI and the business strategy. James Loffler, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Ament revisited his archive of decomposing negatives with his brother, designer Barry Ament, a few years ago. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2026 But over long stretches of time, the potential negatives are far outweighed by the inherent profitability of being paid to assume the risks that your customers want to lay off on you. Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 20 July 2026 The negatives are then printed as positives on the 70-mm prints for projection. Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negatives
Noun
  • Their responsibilities include passing bills, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes and voting to uphold or override vetoes.
    The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The president has endorsed state Senate President Ty Masterson, who sometimes overrode Kelly’s vetoes, for the GOP nomination.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Their opposites may communicate perfectly clearly without making people feel very much.
    Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Protecting South Florida and paying for it were never opposites.
    Aida Nesimi, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Democrats face fundraising disadvantages compared with Republicans, along with financial debt, and Martin has confronted criticism over his stewardship of the party.
    Mike Catalini, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Though the picture has differed from race to race, the candidates have generally espoused a populist, anti-establishment message focused on economic issues, mobilizing their base and overcoming serious funding disadvantages.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Springtown takes edge in 7-4A race, downs Decatur Springtown got the inside track on the District 7-4A championship after beating Decatur 4-2 in 8 innings on Monday night at Decatur High School.
    Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Greene downs it, throws the kid his jersey, smiles, and all is right with the world.
    Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Miller denies that and says the gun fell from his sweatshirt pocket and got hit in the commotion.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Communication with officials The letter denies the three friends at any point lied to authorities about Wells’ disappearance.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In the event that Bally’s refuses to respond with full candor and information, the City Council may need to consider options up to and including suspending the Bally’s license.
    Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The channel, which is banned inside Iran, refuses to disclose its private donors.
    Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This fee for container ships offsets the costs associated with transiting the waterway.
    Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Casar has been on a media blitz pitching progressives’ AI proposals, which have ranged from a ban on AI superintelligence to a tax on the technology to pay for a jobs program that offsets related layoffs.
    Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • So when Alex rejects the author of a romantasy novel entitled The Goblin Seed that turns out to be a bestseller, all hell breaks loose.
    Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Manjari Sihare-Sutin, who heads Sotheby’s South Asian Modern and Contemporary department, said her team rejects an average of two works ahead of every sale because of authenticity concerns.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Negatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negatives. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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