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negative
9 dictionary results for: Negative
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
neg·a·tive       [neg-uh-tiv] Pronunciation Key adjective, noun, adverb, verb, -tived, -tiv·ing, interjection
–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 (opposed to positive): a dull, lifeless, negative character.
6.lacking in constructiveness, helpfulness, optimism, cooperativeness, or the like: a man of negative viewpoint.
7.being without rewards, results, or effectiveness: a search of the premises proved negative.
8.Mathematics, Physics.
a.involving or noting subtraction; minus.
b.measured or proceeding in the direction opposite to that which is considered as positive.
9.Photography. noting an image in which the brightness values of the subject are reproduced so that the lightest areas are shown as the darkest.
10.Electricity.
a.of, pertaining to, or characterized by negative electricity.
b.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.
11.Medicine/Medical. failing to show a positive result in a test for a specific disease caused by either bacteria or viruses.
12.Chemistry. (of an element or group) tending to gain electrons and become negatively charged; acid.
13.Physiology. responding in a direction away from the stimulus.
14.of, pertaining to, or noting the south pole of a magnet.
15.Logic. (of a proposition) denying the truth of the predicate with regard to the subject.
–noun
16.a negative statement, answer, word, gesture, etc.: The ship signaled back a negative.
17.a refusal of assent: to answer a request with a negative.
18.the negative form of statement.
19.a person or number of persons arguing against a resolution, statement, etc., esp. a team upholding the negative side in a formal debate.
20.a negative quality or characteristic.
21.disadvantage; drawback: The plan is generally brilliant, but it has one or two negatives.
22.Mathematics.
a.a minus sign.
b.a negative quantity or symbol.
23.Photography. a negative image, as on a film, used chiefly for making positives.
24.Electricity. the negative plate or element in a voltaic cell.
25.Archaic. a veto, or right of veto: The delegation may exercise its negative.
–adverb
26.(used to indicate a negative response): “You won't come with us?” “Negative.”
–verb (used with object)
27.to deny; contradict.
28.to refute or disprove (something).
29.to refuse assent or consent to; veto.
30.to neutralize or counteract.
–interjection
31.(used to indicate disagreement, denial of permission, etc.): Negative, pilot—complete your mission as directed.
—Idiom
32.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.
[Origin: 1350–1400; < L negātīvus denying (see negate, -ive); r. ME negatif (n. and adj.) < MF < L as above]

—Related forms
neg·a·tive·ly, adverb
neg·a·tive·ness, neg·a·tiv·i·ty, noun

—Synonyms 6. uncooperative, antagonistic, hostile.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
neg·a·tive       (něg'ə-tĭv)  Pronunciation Key 
adj.  
    1. Expressing, containing, or consisting of a negation, refusal, or denial: gave a negative answer to our request.
    2. Indicating opposition or resistance: a negative reaction to the new advertising campaign.
    3. Unpleasant; disagreeable: had a negative experience on his first job.
    4. Gloomy; pessimistic: a negative outlook.
    5. Unfavorable or detrimental: a negative review; a negative effect on the child's development.
    6. Hostile or disparaging; malicious: ran a negative campaign against her opponent.
    7. Of or relating to a quantity less than zero.
    8. Of or relating to the sign (-).
    9. Of or relating to a quantity to be subtracted from another.
    10. 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.
    11. Of or relating to an electric charge of the same sign as that of an electron, indicated by the symbol (-).
    12. Of or relating to a body having an excess of electrons.
  2. Lacking positive or constructive features, especially:
    1. Unpleasant; disagreeable: had a negative experience on his first job.
    2. Gloomy; pessimistic: a negative outlook.
    3. Unfavorable or detrimental: a negative review; a negative effect on the child's development.
    4. Hostile or disparaging; malicious: ran a negative campaign against her opponent.
    5. Of or relating to a quantity less than zero.
    6. Of or relating to the sign (-).
    7. Of or relating to a quantity to be subtracted from another.
    8. 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.
    9. Of or relating to an electric charge of the same sign as that of an electron, indicated by the symbol (-).
    10. Of or relating to a body having an excess of electrons.
  3. Medicine Not indicating the presence of a particular disease, condition, or organism.
  4. Logic Designating a proposition that denies agreement between a subject and its predicate.
  5. Mathematics
    1. Of or relating to a quantity less than zero.
    2. Of or relating to the sign (-).
    3. Of or relating to a quantity to be subtracted from another.
    4. 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.
    5. Of or relating to an electric charge of the same sign as that of an electron, indicated by the symbol (-).
    6. Of or relating to a body having an excess of electrons.
  6. Physics
    1. Of or relating to an electric charge of the same sign as that of an electron, indicated by the symbol (-).
    2. Of or relating to a body having an excess of electrons.
  7. Chemistry Of or relating to an ion, the anion, that is attracted to a positive electrode.
  8. 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.
    1. A statement or act that is highly critical of another or of others: campaign advertising that was based solely on negatives.
    2. 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).
    3. 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).
    4. An image in which the light areas of the object rendered appear dark and the dark areas appear light.
    5. A film, plate, or other photographic material containing such an image.
  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.
    1. An image in which the light areas of the object rendered appear dark and the dark areas appear light.
    2. 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.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
negative  (adj.)
c.1400, from O.Fr. negatif (fem. negative), 13c., from L. negativus, from negare (see deny). The electricity sense is from 1799. The noun is c.1380 in the sense "a prohibition;" in the photographic sense first recorded 1853. Negativism is 1824 as "the policy of opposition;" in a psychological sense, it is attested from 1892.
"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]

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
negative

adjective
1. characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features; "a negative outlook on life"; "a colorless negative personality"; "a negative evaluation"; "a negative reaction to an advertising campaign" [ant: neutral, positive] 
2. expressing or consisting of a negation or refusal or denial [ant: affirmative] 
3. having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant; "ran a negative campaign"; "delinquents retarded by their negative outlook on life" 
4. not indicating the presence of microorganisms or disease or a specific condition; "the HIV test was negative" [ant: confirming] 
5. reckoned in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive; "negative interest rates" [ant: positive] 
6. less than zero; "a negative number" 
7. designed or tending to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions; "negative criticism" [syn: damaging] 
8. having a negative charge; "electrons are negative" 
9. involving disadvantage or harm; "minus (or negative) factors" [syn: minus] 

noun
1. a reply of denial; "he answered in the negative" [ant: affirmative] 
2. a piece of photographic film showing an image with light and shade or colors reversed 

verb
1. vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent; "The President vetoed the bill" [syn: veto] 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
negative       (něg'ə-tĭv)  Pronunciation Key 
  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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

negative neg·a·tive (něg'ə-tĭv)
adj.

  1. Expressing, containing, or consisting of a negation, refusal, or denial.
  2. Marked by failure of response or absence of a reaction.
  3. Not indicating the presence of microorganisms, disease, or a specific condition.
  4. Moving or turning away from a stimulus, such as light.
  5. Relating to or designating an electric charge of the same sign as that of an electron.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Negative

Neg"a*tive\, a. [F. n['e]gatif, L. negativus, fr. negare to deny. See Negation.]

1. 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.

If thou wilt confess, Or else be impudently negative. --Shak.

Denying me any power of a negative voice. --Eikon Basilike.

Something between an affirmative bow and a negative shake. --Dickens.

2. Not positive; without affirmative statement or demonstration; indirect; consisting in the absence of something; privative; as, a negative argument; a negative morality; negative criticism.

There in another way of denying Christ, . . . which is negative, when we do not acknowledge and confess him. --South.

3. (Logic) Asserting absence of connection between a subject and a predicate; as, a negative proposition.

4. (Photog.) 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.

5. (Chem.) Metalloidal; nonmetallic; -- contracted with positive or basic; as, the nitro group is negative.

Note: This word, derived from electro-negative, is now commonly used in a more general sense, when acidiferous is the intended signification.

Negative crystal. (a) A cavity in a mineral mass, having the form of a crystal. (b) A crystal which has the power of negative double refraction. See refraction.

negative electricity (Elec.), the kind of electricity which is developed upon resin or ebonite when rubbed, or which appears at that pole of a voltaic battery which is connected with the plate most attacked by the exciting liquid; -- formerly called resinous electricity. Opposed to positive electricity. Formerly, according to Franklin's theory of a single electric fluid, negative electricity was supposed to be electricity in a degree below saturation, or the natural amount for a given body. see Electricity.

Negative eyepiece. (Opt.) see under Eyepiece.

Negative quantity (Alg.), a quantity preceded by the negative sign, or which stands in the relation indicated by this sign to some other quantity. See Negative sign (below).

Negative rotation, right-handed rotation. See Right-handed, 3.

Negative sign, the sign -, or minus (opposed in signification to +, or plus), indicating that the quantity to which it is prefixed is to be subtracted from the preceding quantity, or is to be reckoned from zero or cipher in the opposite direction to that of quanties having the sign plus either expressed or understood; thus, in a - b, b is to be substracted from a, or regarded as opposite to it in value; and -10[deg] on a thermometer means 10[deg] below the zero of the scale.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Negative

Neg"a*tive\, n. [Cf. F. n['e]gative.]

1. 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.

This is a known rule in divinity, that there is no command that runs in negatives but couches under it a positive duty. --South.

2. A word used in denial or refusal; as, not, no.

Note: In Old England two or more negatives were often joined together for the sake of emphasis, whereas now such expressions are considered ungrammatical, being chiefly heard in iliterate speech. A double negative is now sometimes used as nearly or quite equivalent to an affirmative.

No wine ne drank she, neither white nor red. --Chaucer.

These eyes that never did nor never shall So much as frown on you. --Shak.

3. The refusal or withholding of assents; veto.

If a kind without his kingdom be, in a civil sense, nothing, then . . . his negative is as good as nothing. --Milton.

4. 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.

5. (Photog.) 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.

Note: A negative is chiefly used for producing photographs by means of the sun's light passing through it and acting upon sensitized paper, thus producing on the paper a positive picture.

6. (Elect.) The negative plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell.

Negative pregnant (Law), a negation which implies an affirmation.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Negative

Neg"a*tive\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Negatived; p. pr. & vb. n. Negativing.]

1. To prove unreal or intrue; to disprove.

The omission or infrequency of such recitals does not negative the existence of miracles. --Paley.

2. To reject by vote; to refuse to enact or sanction; as, the Senate negatived the bill.

3. To neutralize the force of; to counteract.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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