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negative - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'negative' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Negative [ a.]
- Denying; implying, containing, or asserting denial, negation or refusal; returning the answer no to an inquiry or request; refusing assent; as, a negative answer; a negative opinion; -- opposed to affirmative.
- Not positive; without affirmative statement or demonstration; indirect; consisting in the absence of something; privative; as, a negative argument; a negative morality; negative criticism.
- Asserting absence of connection between a subject and a predicate; as, a negative proposition.
- Of or pertaining to a picture upon glass or other material, in which the lights and shades of the original, and the relations of right and left, are reversed.
- Metalloidal; nonmetallic; -- contracted with positive or basic; as, the nitro group is negative.
2 . Negative [ n.]
- A proposition by which something is denied or forbidden; a conception or term formed by prefixing the negative particle to one which is positive; an opposite or contradictory term or conception.
- A word used in denial or refusal; as, not, no.
- The refusal or withholding of assents; veto.
- That side of a question which denies or refuses, or which is taken by an opposing or denying party; the relation or position of denial or opposition; as, the question was decided in the negative.
- A picture upon glass or other material, in which the light portions of the original are represented in some opaque material (usually reduced silver), and the dark portions by the uncovered and transparent or semitransparent ground of the picture.
- The negative plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell.
3 . Negative [ v. t.]
- To prove unreal or intrue; to disprove.
- To reject by vote; to refuse to enact or sanction; as, the Senate negatived the bill.
- To neutralize the force of; to counteract.

Meaning of 'negative' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . negative [ n]
Meaning (1):
- a reply of denial
Example in sentence:
  • he answered in the negative
2 . negative [ v]
Meaning (2):
- vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent
Example in sentence:
  • The President vetoed the bill
3 . negative [ a]
Meaning (3):
- characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features
Example in sentence:
  • a colorless negative personality;
  • a negative evaluation;
  • a negative outlook on life;
  • a negative reaction to an advertising campaign
Meaning (4):
- reckoned in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive
Example in sentence:
  • negative interest rates
Meaning (5):
- not indicating the presence of microorganisms or disease or a specific condition
Example in sentence:
  • the HIV test was negative
6 . negative [ s]
Meaning (6):
- less than zero
Example in sentence:
  • a negative number
Meaning (7):
- having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant
Example in sentence:
  • delinquents retarded by their negative outlook on life;
  • ran a negative campaign
Meaning (8):
- having a negative charge
Example in sentence:
  • electrons are negative
Meaning (9):
- involving disadvantage or harm
Example in sentence:
  • minus (or negative) factors
Meaning (10):
- designed or tending to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions
Example in sentence:
  • negative criticism

Nearby Words:

negation negatived negatively negativeness negativing negativity negatory neginoth neglect neglected

See 'negative' also in:

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