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negative Definition

nega·tive (neg′ə tiv)

adjective

  1. containing, expressing, or implying a denial or refusal; that says “no” a negative reply
  2. opposite to something regarded as positive; specif.,
    1. lacking in positive character or quality
    2. lacking evidence, affirmation, etc.
    3. having the effect of diminishing, depriving, or denying
    4. faultfinding, antagonistic, destructive, etc. negative criticism, a negative political campaign
  3. Biol. directed away from the source of a stimulus negative tropism
  4. ☆ Elec.
    1. of, generating, or charged with negative electricity
    2. having an excess of electrons
  5. Logic denying something about a subject “no reptiles are warmblooded” is a negative proposition
  6. Math. designating a quantity less than zero, or one to be subtracted; minus quantity
  7. Med. not having or not demonstrating, showing, or proving the presence or existence of a condition, infection, symptoms, bacteria, etc. a patient who is negative for TB; the X-rays were negative
  8. Photog. reversing the relation of light and shade of the subject

Etymology: ME negatife < OFr or L: OFr négatif < L negativus < negatus: see negation

adverb, interjection

no; not so: so used in radio communication

noun

  1. a word, affix, phrase, etc. that denies, rejects, or refuses (Ex.: no, not, by no means)
  2. a statement of denial, refusal, or rejection
  3. the point of view that denies or attacks the positive or affirmative the negative won the debate
  4. an undesirable element or quality; drawback, shortcoming, defect, etc.
  5. an impression of something, as a sculpture, that shows it in reverse
  6. Obsolete the right of veto
  7. Elec. a terminal, electrode, or plate having an excess of electrons flowing out toward a positive terminal, electrode, or plate, as in a storage battery or dry cell
  8. Math. a quantity less than zero, or one to be subtracted; minus quantity
  9. Photog. an exposed and developed photographic film or plate on which light and shadow are the reverse of what they are in the positive printed from this

transitive verb negatived -·tived, negativing -·tiv·ing

    1. to refuse; reject
    2. ☆ to veto (a candidate, motion, or bill)
  2. to deny; contradict
  3. to prove false; disprove
  4. to counteract; neutralize

interjection

no!not so!

Related Forms:

negative Idioms

in the negative

  1. in refusal or denial of a plan, suggestion, etc.
  2. with a denial or negative answer
negative Synonyms

negative

modif.

  1. Involving a refusal

    denying, negatory, dissentient, disavowing, contradictory, contrary, adverse, adversarial, repugnant, recusant, gainsaying, impugning, contravening, rejecting, naysaying, disallowing, nullifying, negating.

    Antonyms admissible*, assenting, accepting.

  2. Lacking positive qualities

    unaffirmative, absent, removed, privative, neutralizing, counteractive, annulling, abrogating, invalidating.

    Antonyms emphatic*, positive*, affirmative. *

  3. Pessimistic

    cynical, unenthusiastic, uninterested, glum, morose, cool*, cold*.

negative Synonyms

negative

n.

  1. A refusal

    contradiction, disavowal, refutation; see denial 1, refusal.

  2. A negative image

    film, plate, developed film; see image 2, picture 2.

negative Telecom Definition
Something with the same charge (
negative Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • outweigh: Having watched him week in, week out I know that the positives outweigh the negatives.

Adjective modifier

  • false: They also produce some ' false negatives ' with supposed antidepressant drugs ' .
  • original: Copy photographs can be made if the original is out of copyright and the original negative is not held elsewhere.

Modifies a noun

  • impact: World War I had a generally negative impact on Honduras.
  • attitude: However some negative attitudes have also been reported in previous studies.
  • equity: The only thing worse than having negative equity on your house is having negative equity on two houses!
  • effect: Divorce Virginia... can lessen the negative effects of divorce on children.
  • consequence: The negative consequences of this proposal would be dire for the extensive sheep industry.
  • connotation: The word ' heritage ' often carries this negative connotation, which is why it has not been much used in this paper.

Modifying Another Word

  • overwhelmingly: The second chart has a slightly debilitated Mercury in an overwhelmingly negative chart, with the Moon applying by opposition.
  • predominantly: We cannot, however, help people who have predominantly negative symptoms, or who are not distressed by their symptoms.
  • potentially: The proposed reorganization of the news bulletins has potentially negative consequences for regional output.

Noun used with modifier

  • collodion: PSS Exhibition - 1864 John Pouncy's entries in the PSS 9th Exhibition in December 1864 were all collodion negatives.
  • nitrate: A further series of experiments are in progress to calculate our numbers of nitrate negatives.
  • glass: The Photographic Archive was founded in 1976 with a priceless gift of over 6000 glass plate negatives.
  • plate: The Photographic Archive was founded in 1976 with a priceless gift of over 6000 glass plate negatives.

Used with adjective complement

  • prove: Further tests were carried out at the World Championships, again all proved negative.
  • test: Those sheep who tested negative on the perimeter can then be moved to secure farms.
  • come: But he went for a test and it came back negative.
  • confirm: These are: Sample now non-reactive in the current screening assay at the Transfusion Center, and confirmed negative at the designated reference laboratory.
negative Quotes

Alle Befriedigung, oder was man gemeinhin Glu«  ck nennt, ist eigentlich und wesentlich immer nur negativ und durchaus nie positiv. All satisfaction, or what iscommonlycalled happiness, is really and essentially always negative only, and never positive.

—Schopenhauer, Arthur

Electricity is of two kinds, positive and negative. The difference is, I presume, that one comes a little more expensive, but is more durable; the other is a cheaper thing, but the moths get into it.

—Leacock, Stephen Butler

Great Negative, how vainly would the wise Enquire, define, distinguish, teach, devise, Didst thou not stand to point their blind Philosophies.

—Rochester,JohnWilmot, 2nd Earl of

A good many times I have been present at gatherings of people who†are thought highly educated and who have†been expressing their incredulityat the illiteracy of scientists.Once or twice I have been provoked and have asked the company how many of them could describe the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The response was cold: it was also negative.

—Snow, C(harles) P(ercy), 1st Baron

Negative Capability; that is, when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.

—Keats,John