negative

[ neg-uh-tiv ]

adjective

1. expressing or containing negation or denial:

   a negative response to the question.

2. refusing consent, as to a proposal:

   a negative reply to my request.

3. expressing refusal to do something:

   He maintained a negative attitude about cooperating.

4. prohibitory, as a command or order.
5. characterized by the absence of distinguishing or marked qualities or features; lacking positive attributes ( positive ):

   a dull, lifeless, negative character.

6. lacking in constructiveness, helpfulness, optimism, cooperativeness, or the like:

   a man of negative viewpoint.

   Synonyms: uncooperative, hostile, antagonistic

7. encouraging or noting an unhealthy or unbalanced outlook toward something, especially toward sex or sexuality (used in combination):

   The song has a body-negative message.

8. being without rewards, results, or effectiveness:

   a search of the premises proved negative.

9. Mathematics, Physics.
   1. involving or noting subtraction; minus.
   2. measured or proceeding in the direction opposite to that which is considered as positive.
10. Photography. noting an image in which the brightness values of the subject are reproduced so that the lightest areas are shown as the darkest.
11. Electricity.
    1. of, relating to, or characterized by negative electricity.
    2. indicating a point in a circuit that has a lower potential than that of another point, the current flowing from the point of higher potential to the point of lower potential.
12. Medicine/Medical.
    1. (of blood, affected tissue, etc.) failing to indicate the presence of a specified medical condition or substance.
    2. (of a diagnostic test) failing to indicate the presence of the medical condition or substance tested for:

       Test results for skin cancer were negative.

    3. (of a person) not having a specified medical condition, or not having a specified substance in the body (often used in combination): I'm Rh-negative.

       She tested negative for a staph infection.

       I'm Rh-negative.

13. Chemistry. (of an element or group) tending to gain electrons and become negatively charged; acid.
14. Physiology. responding in a direction away from the stimulus.
15. of, relating to, or noting the south pole of a magnet.
16. Logic. (of a proposition) denying the truth of the predicate with regard to the subject.

noun

1. a negative statement, answer, word, gesture, etc.:

   The ship signaled back a negative.

2. a refusal of assent:

   to answer a request with a negative.

3. the negative form of statement.
4. a person or number of persons arguing against a resolution, statement, etc., especially a team upholding the negative side in a formal debate.
5. a negative quality or characteristic.
6. disadvantage; drawback:

   The plan is generally brilliant, but it has one or two negatives.

7. a negative test result:

   Her test for the infection was a negative.

8. Mathematics.
   1. a minus sign.
   2. a negative quantity or symbol.
9. Photography. a negative image, as on a film, used chiefly for making positives.
10. Electricity. the negative plate or element in a voltaic cell.
11. Archaic. a veto, or right of veto:

    The delegation may exercise its negative.

adverb

1. (used to indicate a negative response):

   “You won't come with us?” “Negative.”

verb (used with object)

, neg·a·tived, neg·a·tiv·ing.

1. to deny; contradict.
2. to refute or disprove (something).
3. to refuse assent or consent to; veto.
4. to neutralize or counteract.

interjection

1. (used to indicate disagreement, denial of permission, etc.):

   Negative, pilot—complete your mission as directed.

negative

/ ˈnɛɡətɪv /

adjective

1. expressing or meaning a refusal or denial

   a negative answer

2. lacking positive or affirmative qualities, such as enthusiasm, interest, or optimism
3. showing or tending towards opposition or resistance
4. 1. measured in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive
   2. having the same magnitude but opposite sense to an equivalent positive quantity
5. biology indicating movement or growth away from a particular stimulus

   negative geotropism

6. med (of the results of a diagnostic test) indicating absence of the disease or condition for which the test was made
7. another word for minus minus
8. physics
   1. (of an electric charge) having the same polarity as the charge of an electron
   2. (of a body, system, ion, etc) having a negative electric charge; having an excess of electrons
   3. (of a point in an electric circuit) having a lower electrical potential than some other point with an assigned zero potential
9. short for electronegative
10. of or relating to a photographic negative
11. logic (of a categorial proposition) denying the satisfaction by the subject of the predicate, as in some men are irrational; no pigs have wings
12. astrology of, relating to, or governed by the signs of the zodiac of the earth and water classifications, which are thought to be associated with a receptive passive nature
13. short for Rh negative

noun

1. a statement or act of denial, refusal, or negation
2. a negative person or thing
3. photog a piece of photographic film or a plate, previously exposed and developed, showing an image that, in black-and-white photography, has a reversal of tones. In colour photography the image is in complementary colours to the subject so that blue sky appears yellow, green grass appears purple, etc
4. physics a negative object, such as a terminal or a plate in a voltaic cell
5. a sentence or other linguistic element with a negative meaning, as the English word not
6. a quantity less than zero or a quantity to be subtracted
7. logic a negative proposition
8. archaic.
   the right of veto
9. in the negative
   indicating denial or refusal

sentence substitute

1. (esp in military communications) a signal code word for no 1

verb

1. to deny or nullify; negate
2. to show to be false; disprove
3. to refuse to consent to or approve of

   the proposal was negatived

negative

/ nĕg′ə-tĭv /

1. Less than zero.
2. Having the electric charge or voltage less than zero.
3. Devoid of evidence of a suspected condition or disease, as a diagnostic test.

Derived Forms

• ˈnegatively, adverb
• ˈnegativeness, noun

Other Words From

• nega·tive·ly adverb
• nega·tive·ness nega·tivi·ty noun
• nonneg·a·tivi·ty noun
• quasi-nega·tive adjective
• quasi-nega·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of negative¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin negātīvus “denying”; negate, -ive ; replacing Middle English negatif (noun and adjective), from Middle French, from Latin, as above

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in the negative, in the form of a negative response, as a refusal, denial, or disagreement; no:

   The reply, when it finally came, was in the negative.

Example Sentences

The publication of the findings was further delayed by a House rule that blocks the release of negative reports so close to an election.

From Salon

The fast food giant resumed sales of the burger in all of its restaurants in America after it said samples of its beef patties, taken by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, tested negative for the bacteria.

From BBC

Outspent in the general election and subjected to an onslaught of negative ads and mailers and headlines in the weeks leading up to election day, she nevertheless trounced De León, a Latino political giant now reduced to a cautionary tale after his fall from grace for his role in a secretly recorded conversation that upended L.A. politics.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite this, public perception of the site seems overwhelmingly negative—and much of its bad reputation comes from the viral marketing ploys the company uses to reel in new users.

From Slate

Holly, now 26, has chronic pain and hypermobility syndrome and is one of a number of disabled women who have spoken out to challenge negative stereotypes and stigma when it comes to dating and relationships.

From BBC