neg·a·tive
(nĕg′ə-tĭv)adj.1. a. Expressing, containing, or consisting of a negation, refusal, or denial: gave a negative answer to our request.
b. Indicating opposition or resistance: a negative reaction to the new advertising campaign.
2. Lacking positive or constructive features, especially:
a. Unpleasant; disagreeable: had a negative experience on his first job.
b. Gloomy; pessimistic: a negative outlook.
c. Unfavorable or detrimental: a negative review; a negative effect on the child's development.
d. Hostile or disparaging; malicious: ran a negative campaign against her opponent.
3. Medicine Not indicating the presence of a particular disease, condition, or organism.
4. Philosophy Of or relating to non-being or the absence of qualities rather than being or the possession of qualities: the purely negative virtue of unselfishness.
5. Logic Designating a proposition that denies agreement between a subject and its predicate.
6. Mathematics a. Of or relating to a quantity less than zero.
b. Of or relating to the sign (-).
c. Of or relating to a quantity to be subtracted from another.
d. Of or relating to a quantity, number, angle, velocity, or direction in a sense opposite to another of the same magnitude indicated or understood to be positive.
7. Physics a. Of or relating to an electric charge of the same sign as that of an electron, indicated by the symbol (-).
b. Of or relating to a body that has more electrons than protons.
8. Chemistry Of or relating to an ion, the anion, that is attracted to a positive electrode.
9. Biology Moving or turning away from a stimulus, such as light: a negative tropism.
n.1. A statement or act indicating or expressing a contradiction, denial, or refusal.
2. a. A statement or act that is highly critical of another or of others: campaign advertising that was based solely on negatives.
b. Something that lacks all positive, affirmative, or encouraging features; an element that is the counterpoint of the positive: "Life is full of overwhelming odds. You can't really eliminate the negatives but you can diminish them" (Art Linkletter).
c. A feature or characteristic that is not deemed positive, affirmative, or desirable: "As voters get to know his liberal views, his negatives will rise" (Richard M. Nixon).
3. Grammar A word or part of a word, such as
no, not, or
non-, that indicates negation. See Usage Note at
double negative.
4. The side in a debate that contradicts or opposes the question being debated.
5. a. An image in which the light areas of the object rendered appear dark and the dark areas appear light.
b. A film, plate, or other photographic material containing such an image.
6. Mathematics A negative quantity.
tr.v. neg·a·tived,
neg·a·tiv·ing,
neg·a·tives 1. To refuse to approve; veto.
2. To deny; contradict.
3. To demonstrate to be false; disprove.
4. To counteract or neutralize.
[Middle English, from Old French negatif, from Latin negātīvus, from negātus, past participle of negāre, to deny; see negate.]
neg′a·tive·ly adv.
neg′a·tive·ness, neg′a·tiv′i·ty (-tĭv′ĭ-tē) n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
negative
(ˈnɛɡətɪv) adj1. 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. a. measured in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive
b. having the same magnitude but opposite sense to an equivalent positive quantity
5. (Biology) biology indicating movement or growth away from a particular stimulus: negative geotropism.
6. (Medicine) med (of the results of a diagnostic test) indicating absence of the disease or condition for which the test was made
8. (General Physics)
physics a. (of an electric charge) having the same polarity as the charge of an electron
b. (of a body, system, ion, etc) having a negative electric charge; having an excess of electrons
c. (of a point in an electric circuit) having a lower electrical potential than some other point with an assigned zero potential
11. (Photography) of or relating to a photographic negative
12. (Logic) logic (of a categorial proposition) denying the satisfaction by the subject of the predicate, as in some men are irrational; no pigs have wings
13. (Astrology) 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
n15. a statement or act of denial, refusal, or negation
16. a negative person or thing
17. (Photography) 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
18. (General Physics) physics a negative object, such as a terminal or a plate in a voltaic cell
19. (Linguistics) a sentence or other linguistic element with a negative meaning, as the English word not
20. (Mathematics) a quantity less than zero or a quantity to be subtracted
21. (Logic) logic a negative proposition
22. archaic the right of veto
23. in the negative indicating denial or refusal
sentence substitute (Military) (esp in military communications) a signal code word for
no1 vb (
tr)
24. to deny or nullify; negate
25. to show to be false; disprove
26. to refuse to consent to or approve of: the proposal was negatived.
ˈnegatively adv
ˈnegativeness, ˌnegaˈtivity n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
neg•a•tive
(ˈnɛg ə tɪv)
adj., n., adv., v. -tived, -tiv•ing,
interj. adj. 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 or resistance: a negative attitude about cooperating.
4. unfavorable: negative criticism.
5. prohibitory, as a command or order.
6. lacking positive attributes (opposed to positive): a negative character.
7. lacking in constructiveness, helpfulness, optimism, or the like: a negative approach to problem solving.
8. being without rewards, results, or effectiveness: a search of the premises proved negative.
9. Math. a. involving or noting subtraction; minus.
b. measured or proceeding in the direction opposite to that which is considered as positive.
10. Photog. noting an image in which the brightness values of the subject are reproduced so that the lightest areas are shown as the darkest.
11. a. of or pertaining to the electric charge of a body that has an excess of electrons.
b. (of a point in a circuit) having lower potential, therefore drawing the flow of current.
12. Med. failing to show a positive result in a diagnostic test.
13. Chem. (of an element or group) tending to gain electrons and become negatively charged; acid.
14. Physiol. responding in a direction away from the stimulus.
15. of, pertaining to, or noting the S pole of a magnet.
16. Logic. (of a proposition) denying the truth of the predicate with regard to the subject.
n. 17. a negative statement, answer, word, gesture, etc.: The ship signaled back a negative.
18. a refusal of assent: to answer a request with a negative.
19. the negative form of statement.
20. one or more persons arguing against a resolution, statement, etc., esp. a team in a formal debate.
21. a negative quality or characteristic.
22. disadvantage; drawback: a brilliant plan with only one negative.
23. Math. a. a minus sign.
b. a negative quantity or symbol.
24. Photog. a negative image, as on a film, used chiefly for making positives.
25. Archaic. a veto, or right of veto.
adv. 26. (used to indicate a negative response): “You won't come with us?” “Negative.”
v.t. 27. to deny; contradict.
28. to refute or disprove (something).
29. to refuse assent or consent to; veto.
30. to neutralize or counteract.
interj. 31. (used to indicate disagreement, denial of permission, etc.)
[1350–1400; Middle English negatif < Middle French < Latin negātīvus denying]
neg′a•tive•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.