negative
pronunciation
How to pronounce negative in British English:
UK [ˈneɡətɪv]
How to pronounce negative in American English:
US [ˈneɡətɪv]
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- Noun:
- a reply of denial
- a piece of photographic film showing an image with black and white tones reversed
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- Verb:
- vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent
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- Adjective:
- characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features
- reckoned in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive
- having a negative electric charge
- expressing or consisting of a negation or refusal or denial
- having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant
- not indicating the presence of microorganisms or disease or a specific condition
- less than zero
- designed or tending to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions
- involving disadvantage or harm
Word Origin
- negative
- negative: see renegade
- negative (adj.)
- c. 1400, "expressing denial," from Old French negatif (13c.) and directly from Latin negativus "that which denies," from negat-, past participle stem of negare "deny, say no" (see deny). Meaning "expressing negation" is from c. 1500; that of "characterized by absence" is from 1560s. Algebraic sense is from 1670s. The electricity sense is from 1755. Negative Capability, that is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts without any irritable reaching after fact and reason. [John Keats, letter, Dec. 21, 1817] Related: Negatively.
- negative (n.)
- late 14c., "a prohibition; absence, nonexistence; opposite," from Old French negatif and directly from Latin negativus (see negative (adj.)). Meaning "a negative statement" is from 1560s. As a response, "I refuse, disagree, no," from 1945. Meaning "a negative quality" is from 1640s. In mathematics, "a negative number," from 1706. Photographic sense first recorded 1853.
Synonym
prohibiting nullifying conflicting gainsaying forbidding vitiating revocatory canceling contradicting disapproving invalidating opposing vetoing voiding denying quashing
unhelpful glum uncooperative complaining recusant mopey faultfinding morose pessimistic mopish gloomy averse unfriendly cynical
Antonym
Example
- 1. Contagion thinking isn 't always negative .
- 2. They 're also negative to themselves .
- 3. Negative real interest rates are not unusual .
- 4. Avoid negative cash flow at all cost .
- 5. I have a negative approach to democracy .