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

Greg Dulcich breaking free over the middle for a touchdown, but it would’ve been negated anyway, as left guard Kadyn Proctor was called for holding, pushing Miami back. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

Jenkins brought the crowd to its feet, scrambling for a 31-yard touchdown on a third-and-7, but a holding penalty negated it. — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026

The loss negated another strong start from starting pitcher Michael Wacha. — Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2026

Kent missed a 34-yard attempt late in the second quarter, which sailed way off the mark four snaps after missing a 37-yarder negated by an offsides penalty. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 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