expressing or containing negation or denial: a negative response to the question.
refusing consent, as to a proposal: a negative reply to my request.
expressing refusal to do something: He maintained a negative attitude about cooperating.
prohibitory, as a command or order.
characterized by the absence of distinguishing or marked qualities or features; lacking positive attributes (opposed to positive): a dull, lifeless, negative character.
lacking in constructiveness, helpfulness, optimism, cooperativeness, or the like: a man of negative viewpoint.
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.
being without rewards, results, or effectiveness: a search of the premises proved negative.
Mathematics, Physics.
involving or noting subtraction; minus.
measured or proceeding in the direction opposite to that which is considered as positive.
Photography. noting an image in which the brightness values of the subject are reproduced so that the lightest areas are shown as the darkest.
Electricity.
of, relating to, or characterized by negative electricity.
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.
Medicine/Medical.
(of blood, affected tissue, etc.) failing to indicate the presence of a specified medical condition or substance.
(of a diagnostic test) failing to indicate the presence of the medical condition or substance tested for:Test results for skin cancer were negative.
(of a person) not having a specified medical condition, or not having a specified substance in the body (often used in combination):She tested negative for a staph infection.I'm Rh-negative.
Chemistry. (of an element or group) tending to gain electrons and become negatively charged; acid.
Physiology. responding in a direction away from the stimulus.
of, relating to, or noting the south pole of a magnet.
Logic. (of a proposition) denying the truth of the predicate with regard to the subject.
noun
a negative statement, answer, word, gesture, etc.: The ship signaled back a negative.
a refusal of assent: to answer a request with a negative.
the negative form of statement.
a person or number of persons arguing against a resolution, statement, etc., especially a team upholding the negative side in a formal debate.
a negative quality or characteristic.
disadvantage; drawback: The plan is generally brilliant, but it has one or two negatives.
a negative test result:Her test for the infection was a negative.
Mathematics.
a minus sign.
a negative quantity or symbol.
Photography. a negative image, as on a film, used chiefly for making positives.
Electricity. the negative plate or element in a voltaic cell.
Archaic. a veto, or right of veto: The delegation may exercise its negative.
adverb
(used to indicate a negative response): “You won't come with us?” “Negative.”
verb (used with object),neg·a·tived,neg·a·tiv·ing.
to deny; contradict.
to refute or disprove (something).
to refuse assent or consent to; veto.
to neutralize or counteract.
interjection
(used to indicate disagreement, denial of permission, etc.): Negative, pilot—complete your mission as directed.
Idioms for negative
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 of negative
1350–1400; <Latin negātīvus denying (see negate, -ive); replacing Middle English negatif (noun and adj.) <Middle French <Latin as above
Attitudes toward China have turned negative in the past few years.
Poll: Sharp partisan differences now exist on foreign policy, views of American exceptionalism|Dan Balz, Scott Clement|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
I think when we get into April, in the warmer weather, that has a very negative effect on that and that type of a virus.
Timeline: The 124 times Trump has downplayed the coronavirus threat|Aaron Blake, JM Rieger|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
This was a clue that the polio virus used in the vaccines might not have been fully inactivated as was intended even though the samples otherwise tested negative for live polio virus.
On COVID-19 vaccines, Big Pharma knows to just say ‘no’|matthewheimer|September 11, 2020|Fortune
In an election year, and after dealing with many negative blows to its image, Facebook is trying to reestablish itself as the original social-media company, which in the case of Campus means turning back to its roots.
Facebook just invented … Facebook|Tanya Basu|September 10, 2020|MIT Technology Review
More than 70% of the posts were negative, while only 13% of the comments were positive.
Disney’s ‘Mulan’ is set for a disappointing debut in the market it’s courted most|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 10, 2020|Fortune
Myerson herself appears to have bought into that stigma, offering mixed to negative views on the Miss America pageant.
Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America?|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I think part of being in the public eye is getting recognized, and dealing with positive and negative scrutiny.
Tim Howard’s Wall of Intensity|William O’Connor|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In addition to the negative on-field attention, off-the-field problems were just as bad this year.
Is Any College Football Coach Worth $60 Million? Jim Harbaugh Is|Jesse Lawrence|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The negative headlines and accusations of sexual assault continue.
Team Cosby’s Mission Impossible|Lloyd Grove|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He says he has yet to experience any negative feedback from the galaxy of Whovians.
Doctor Who: It’s Time For a Black, Asian, or Woman Doctor|Nico Hines|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The resolution directed the Chairman to cast the vote in the negative.
A Report of the Debates and Proceedings in the Secret Sessions of the Conference Convention|Lucius Eugene Chittenden
Negotiations were continued between the two councils until an affirmative or a negative conclusion was reached.
Ancient Society|Lewis Henry Morgan
The man replied in the negative, and she then inquired for Sir Philip, asking to see him.
The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 4, November 1, 1851|Various
So much for the negative evidence that any such genuine document as the alleged Charter of 7th December 1639 had ever existed.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 69, No. 427, May, 1851|Various
He answered them still in the negative, but his misery kept them ever before his mind.
The Origin of Paul's Religion|J. Gresham Machen
British Dictionary definitions for negative
negative
/ (ˈnɛɡətɪv) /
adjective
expressing or meaning a refusal or deniala negative answer
lacking positive or affirmative qualities, such as enthusiasm, interest, or optimism
showing or tending towards opposition or resistance
measured in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive
having the same magnitude but opposite sense to an equivalent positive quantity
biologyindicating movement or growth away from a particular stimulusnegative geotropism
med(of the results of a diagnostic test) indicating absence of the disease or condition for which the test was made
another word for minus (def. 3b), minus (def. 5)
physics
(of an electric charge) having the same polarity as the charge of an electron
(of a body, system, ion, etc) having a negative electric charge; having an excess of electrons
(of a point in an electric circuit) having a lower electrical potential than some other point with an assigned zero potential
short for electronegative
of or relating to a photographic negative
logic(of a categorial proposition) denying the satisfaction by the subject of the predicate, as in some men are irrational; no pigs have wings
astrologyof, 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
short for Rh negative
noun
a statement or act of denial, refusal, or negation
a negative person or thing
photoga 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
physicsa negative object, such as a terminal or a plate in a voltaic cell
a sentence or other linguistic element with a negative meaning, as the English word not
a quantity less than zero or a quantity to be subtracted
logica negative proposition
archaicthe right of veto
in the negativeindicating denial or refusal
sentence substitute
(esp in military communications) a signal code word for no 1
verb(tr)
to deny or nullify; negate
to show to be false; disprove
to refuse to consent to or approve ofthe proposal was negatived