Nearby Words
Synonyms
adjective
1.
explicitly stated, stipulated, or expressed: a positive acceptance of the agreement.
2.
admitting of no question: positive proof.
3.
stated; express; emphatic: a positive denial.
4.
confident in opinion or assertion; fully assured: He is positive that he will win the contest.
5.
EXPANDoverconfident or dogmatic: The less he knows, the more positive he gets.
6.
without relation to or comparison with other things; not relative or comparative; absolute.
7.
Informal. downright; out-and-out: She's a positive genius.
8.
determined by enactment or convention; arbitrarily laid down: positive law.
9.
emphasizing what is laudable, hopeful, or to the good; constructive: a positive attitude toward the future; positive things to say about a painting.
10.
not speculative or theoretical; practical: a positive approach to the problem.
11.
possessing an actual force, being, existence, etc.
12.
Philosophy.
a.
constructive and sure, rather than skeptical.
b.
concerned with or based on matters of experience: positive philosophy.
13.
showing or expressing approval or agreement; favorable: a positive reaction to the speech.
14.
consisting in or characterized by the presence or possession of distinguishing or marked qualities or features (opposed to negative): Light is positive, darkness negative.
15.
noting the presence of such qualities, as a term.
16.
measured or proceeding in a direction assumed as beneficial, progressive, or auspicious: a positive upturn in the stock market.
17.
Electricity.
a.
of, pertaining to, or characterized by positive electricity.
b.
indicating a point in a circuit that has a higher potential than that of another point, the current flowing from the point of higher potential to the point of lower potential.
18.
of, pertaining to, or noting the north pole of a magnet.
19.
Chemistry. (of an element or group) tending to lose electrons and become positively charged; basic.
20.
Grammar. being, noting, or pertaining to the initial degree of the comparison of adjectives and adverbs, as the positive form good. Compare comparative (def. 4), superlative (def. 2).
21.
Medicine/Medical.
a.
(of blood, affected tissue, etc.) showing the presence of disease.
b.
(of a diagnostic test) indicating disease.
22.
Biochemistry. Rh factor.
23.
Mathematics. noting a quantity greater than zero.
24.
(of government) assuming control or regulation of activities beyond those involved merely with the maintenance of law and order.
25.
Biology. oriented or moving toward the focus of excitation: a positive tropism.
26.
Photography. denoting a print or transparency showing the brightness values as they are in the subject.
27.
COLLAPSEMachinery. noting or pertaining to a process or machine part having a fixed or certain operation, especially as the result of elimination of play, free motion, etc.: positive lubrication.
noun
28.
something positive.
29.
a positive quality or characteristic.
30.
a positive quantity or symbol.
31.
Grammar.
a.
the positive degree.
b.
a form in the positive, as good or smooth.
32.
Photography. a positive image, as on a print or transparency.
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Positives
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Origin:
1250–1300; < Latin positīvus; replacing Middle English positif < Middle French < Latin, as above. See posit, -ive
1250–1300; < Latin positīvus; replacing Middle English positif < Middle French < Latin, as above. See posit, -ive
Related forms
pos·i·tive·ness, noun
o·ver·pos·i·tive, adjective
o·ver·pos·i·tive·ly, adverb
o·ver·pos·i·tive·ness, noun
qua·si-pos·i·tive, adjective
EXPANDqua·si-pos·i·tive·ly, adverb
su·per·pos·i·tive, adjective
su·per·pos·i·tive·ly, adverb
su·per·pos·i·tive·ness, noun
un·pos·i·tive, adjective
un·pos·i·tive·ly, adverb
un·pos·i·tive·ness, noun
COLLAPSESynonyms
1. definite, unequivocal, categorical, clear, precise, sure. 2. incontrovertible, indisputable. 4. unquestioning. 4, 5. See sure.
1. definite, unequivocal, categorical, clear, precise, sure. 2. incontrovertible, indisputable. 4. unquestioning. 4, 5. See sure.
Antonyms
1. indefinite. 2. doubtful. 4. unsure, unconfident, uncertain.
1. indefinite. 2. doubtful. 4. unsure, unconfident, uncertain.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To positives
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
positive
c.1300, a legal term meaning "formally laid down," from O.Fr. positif (13c.), from L. positivus "settled by arbitrary agreement, positive" (opposed to naturalis "natural"), from positus, pp. of ponere "put, place" (see position). Sense broadened to "expressed without qualification"
EXPAND(1598), then "confident in opinion" (1665); mathematical use is from 1704; in electricity, 1755. Psychological sense of "concentrating on what is constructive and good" is recorded from 1916. Positivism (1847) is the philosophy of Auguste Comte, who published "Philosophie positive" in 1830.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
positive pos·i·tive (pŏz'ĭ-tĭv)
adj.
Characterized by or displaying certainty, acceptance, or affirmation.
Indicating the presence of a particular disease, condition, or organism.
Indicating or characterized by response or motion toward the source of a stimulus, such as light.
Relating to or designating electric charge of a sign opposite to that of an electron.
pos'i·tive·ness or pos'i·tiv'i·ty n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
positive  (pŏz'ĭ-tĭv) Pronunciation Key
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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