negative

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: neg=a=tive

CIDE DICTIONARY

negative, a. [F. négatif, L. negativus, fr. negare to deny. See Negation.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "If thou wilt confess,
  Or else be impudently negative."  [1913 Webster]

  "Denying me any power of a negative voice."  [1913 Webster]

  "Something between an affirmative bow and a negative shake."  [1913 Webster]
•  Not positive; without affirmative statement or demonstration; indirect; consisting in the absence of something; privative; as, a negative argument; negative evidence; a negative morality; negative criticism.  [1913 Webster]

  "There in another way of denying Christ, . . . which is negative, when we do not acknowledge and confess him."  [1913 Webster]
•  Asserting absence of connection between a subject and a predicate; as, a negative proposition.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  Metalloidal; nonmetallic; -- contrasted with positive or basic; as, the nitro group is negative.  [1913 Webster]

  " This word, derived from electro-negative, is now commonly used in a more general sense, when acidiferous is the intended signification."  [1913 Webster]

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° on a thermometer means 10° below the zero of the scale.

negative, n. [Cf. F. négative.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "This is a known rule in divinity, that there is no command that runs in negatives but couches under it a positive duty."  [1913 Webster]
•  A word used in denial or refusal; as, not, no.  [1913 Webster]

  " 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."  [1913 Webster]

  "No wine ne drank she, neither white nor red."  [1913 Webster]

  "These eyes that never did nor never shall
  So much as frown on you."  [1913 Webster]
•  The refusal or withholding of assents; veto.  [1913 Webster]

  "If a kind without his kingdom be, in a civil sense, nothing, then . . . his negative is as good as nothing."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  " A negative is chiefly used for producing photographs by means of passing light through it and acting upon sensitized paper, thus producing on the paper a positive picture."  [1913 Webster]
•  The negative plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell.  [1913 Webster]

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

negative, v. t. 

•  To prove unreal or untrue; to disprove.  [1913 Webster]

  "The omission or infrequency of such recitals does not negative the existence of miracles."  [1913 Webster]
•  To reject by vote; to refuse to enact or sanction; as, the Senate negatived the bill.  [1913 Webster]
•  To neutralize the force of; to counteract.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

negative, adj., n. & v.
--adj.
1 expressing or implying denial, prohibition, or refusal (a negative vote; a negative answer).
2 (of a person or attitude): a lacking positive attributes; apathetic; pessimistic. b opposing or resisting; uncooperative.
3 marked by the absence of qualities (a negative reaction; a negative result from the test).
4 of the opposite nature to a thing regarded as positive (debt is negative capital).
5 Algebra (of a quantity) less than zero, to be subtracted from others or from zero (opp. POSITIVE).
6 Electr. a of the kind of charge carried by electrons (opp. POSITIVE). b containing or producing such a charge.
--n.
1 a negative statement, reply, or word (hard to prove a negative).
2 Photog. a an image with black and white reversed or colours replaced by complementary ones, from which positive pictures are obtained. b a developed film or plate bearing such an image.
3 a negative quality; an absence of something.
4 (prec. by the) a position opposing the affirmative.
5 Logic = NEGATION 6.
--v.tr.
1 refuse to accept or countenance; veto; reject.
2 disprove (an inference or hypothesis).
3 contradict (a statement).
4 neutralize (an effect).

Idiom

in the negative with negative effect; so as to reject a proposal etc.; no (the answer was in the negative). negative evidence (or instance) evidence of the non-occurrence of something. negative feedback
1 the return of part of an output signal to the input, tending to decrease the amplification etc.
2 feedback that tends to diminish or counteract the process giving rise to it. negative geotropism see GEOTROPISM. negative income tax an amount credited as allowance to a taxed income, and paid as benefit when it exceeds debited tax. negative pole the south-seeking pole of a magnet. negative proposition Logic = NEGATION 6. negative quantity joc. nothing. negative sign a symbol (-) indicating subtraction or a value less than zero. negative virtue abstention from vice.

Derivative

negatively adv. negativeness n. negativity n.

Etymology

ME f. OF negatif -ive or LL negativus (as NEGATE)

THESAURUS

negative

Cassandra-like, Cassandran, Cassandrian, Ditto copy, Photostat, Xerox, Xerox copy, abjuratory, abnegate, abnegation, abnegative, abolish, abrogate, absolute veto, adversary, adversative, adverse, algorismic, algorithmic, alien, aliquot, annihilate, annul, annulling, antagonistic, anti, antipathetic, antithetic, aquatint, argumentative, at cross-purposes, at loggerheads, at odds, at variance, at war, au contraire, autolithograph, aye, backing, be unmoved, be unwilling, beg off, belie, bibliofilm, bipack, black-and-white film, block, block print, blow sky-high, blow up, bring to naught, bring to nothing, buffer, cancel, cancel out, cancelling, cardinal, cartridge, cast, certainly not, chromolithograph, clashing, cold, color film, color negative film, color print, come to nothing, competitive, con, conflicting, contact print, contradict, contradicting, contradiction, contradictory, contrary, contravene, cool, copperplate, copperplate print, counter, counteract, counterbalance, countercheck, cranky, crayon engraving, cross, cut, cynical, deaf to, decimal, declension, declination, declinatory, declinature, decline, decline to accept, declining, defeatist, deflate, denial, denying, deprivation, detrimental, devoid, die, differential, differing, digital, disaccordant, disaffirm, disaffirming, disagree, disagreeable, disagreeing, disagreement, disallow, disallowance, disallowing, disavowing, disclaim, disclaimer, disclaiming, disclamation, disconfirm, discordant, discredit, discrepant, disharmonious, dismal, disobedience, disobedient, disowning, disproportionate, disprove, disputatious, disputing, dissent, dissentient, dissenting, dissentious, dissident, dissonant, divergent, dope, downbeat, dry plate, emulsion, enemy, engravement, engraving, enlargement, etching, even, existless, explode, exponential, expose, far from it, figural, figurate, figurative, film, finite, form, fractional, fractious, frame, frustrate, gainsay, gainsaying, gloomy, graphotype, grating, hectograph copy, hold out against, holding back, hostile, imaginary, immiscible, impair, impossible, impress, impression, imprint, impugn, in the negative, inaccordant, incompatible, infinite, inharmonious, inimical, intaglio, integral, interest, invalidate, irrational, item veto, jangling, jarring, kill, lacking, last, limited negative, limited veto, linoleum-block print, lithograph, logarithmic, logometric, matrix, mezzotint, microfilm, mimeograph copy, mint, minuend, minus, missing, mold, monochromatic film, motion-picture film, nay, naysaying, negate, negating, negation, negativate, negative answer, negative attitude, negatively, negativeness, negativism, negativistic, negativity, negatory, nein, neutralize, neutralizing, nihilistic, nix, no, no such thing, non, nonacceptance, noncompliance, nonconsent, nonconsenting, noncooperative, nonexistent, nonobservance, not, not a bit, not a jot, not a whit, not buy, not consent, not hear of, not really, not so, not think of, null, nullify, nullifying, numeral, numerary, numerative, numeric, nyet, obstinate, odd, offprint, offset, opponent, opposed, opposing, opposite, oppositional, oppositive, oppugnant, ordinal, orthochromatic film, out of accord, out of whack, overthwart, pack, pair, panchromatic film, perverse, pessimist, pessimistic, photocopy, photograph, photographic paper, photostatic copy, plate, plus, pocket veto, positive, prime, print, printing paper, pro, proof, prove the contrary, punch, puncture, quite the contrary, radical, rational, real, recalcitrant, recantation, recanting, reciprocal, redress, refractory, refusal, refuse, refuse consent, refusing, reject, rejection, rejective, renunciative, renunciatory, repeal, reprint, repudiate, repudiation, repudiative, repugnant, resist entreaty, resist persuasion, retention, revocative, revocatory, revoke, rival, roll, rubber-block print, rule against, say nay, say no, seal, shake the head, shoe last, show up, side, sound film, sound track, sound-on-film, soundstripe, stamp, stand aloof, stat, stultify, submultiple, subtrahend, surd, suspensory veto, template, the affirmative, the negative, thumbs-down, thwart, to the contrary, transcendental, traverse, tripack, turn down, turndown, uncheerful, uncomplaisant, uncompliant, uncomplying, uncongenial, unconsenting, uncooperative, undercut, undo, unenthusiastic, unexisting, unfavorable, unfriendly, unharmonious, uninterested, unpropitious, unresponsive, unwilling, unwillingness, vacuous, variant, vehicle, veto, vignette, vitiate, void, voiding, vote nay, vote negatively, withholding, without being, wood engraving, woodblock, woodcut, woodprint, xylograph

ROGET THESAURUS

negative

Inexistence

N inexistence, nonexistence, nonsubsistence, nonentity, nil, negativeness, nullity, nihility, nihilism, tabula rasa, blank, abeyance, absence, no such thing, nonbeing, nothingness, oblivion, annihilation, extinction, extinguishment, extirpation, Nirvana, obliteration, inexistent, nonexistent, negative, blank, missing, omitted, absent, insubstantial, shadowy, spectral, visionary, unreal, potential, virtual, baseless, in nubibus, unsubstantial, vain, unborn, uncreated, unbegotten, unconceived, unproduced, unmade, perished, annihilated extinct, exhausted, gone, lost, vanished, departed, gone with the wind, defunct, fabulous, ideal, supposititious &c, negatively, virtually, non ens.

Contrariety

N contrariety, contrast, foil, antithesis, oppositeness, contradiction, antagonism, clashing, repugnance, inversion, the opposite, the reverse, the inverse, the converse, the antipodes, the antithesis, the other extreme, contrary, contrarious, contrariant, opposite, counter, dead against, converse, reverse, opposed, antithetical, contrasted, antipodean, antagonistic, opposing, conflicting, inconsistent, contradictory, at cross purposes, negative, hostile, differing toto coelo, diametrically opposite, diametrically opposed, as opposite as black and white, as opposite as light and darkness, as opposite as fire and water, as opposite as the poles, as different as night and day, Hyperion to a satyr, quite the contrary, quite the reverse, no such thing, just the other way, tout au contraire, contrarily, contra, contrariwise, per contra, on the contrary, nay rather, vice versa, on the other hand, all concord's born of contraries, Thesis, antithesis, synthesis.

Prototype

N prototype, original, model, pattern, precedent, standard, ideal, reference, scantling, type, archetype, antitype, protoplast, module, exemplar, example, ensample, paradigm, lay-figure, text, copy, design, fugleman, keynote, die, mold, matrix, last, plasm, proplasm, protoplasm, mint, seal, punch, intaglio, negative, stamp, a precedent embalms a principle, exempla sunt odiosa.

Number

N number, symbol, numeral, figure, cipher, digit, integer, counter, round number, formula, function, series, sum, difference, complement, subtrahend, product, multiplicand, multiplier, multiplicator, coefficient, multiple, dividend, divisor, factor, quotient, submultiple, fraction, rational number, surd, irrational number, transcendental number, mixed number, complex number, complex conjugate, numerator, denominator, decimal, circulating decimal, repetend, common measure, aliquot part, prime number, prime, relative prime, prime factor, prime pair, reciprocal, totient, binary number, octal number, hexadecimal number, permutation, combination, variation, election, ratio, proportion, comparison, progression, arithmetical progression, geometrical progression, harmonical progression, percentage, permilage, figurate numbers, pyramidal numbers, polygonal numbers, power, root, exponent, index, logarithm, antilogarithm, modulus, base, differential, integral, fluxion, fluent, numeral, complementary, divisible, aliquot, reciprocal, prime, relatively prime, fractional, decimal, figurate, incommensurable, proportional, exponential, logarithmic, logometric, differential, fluxional, integral, totitive, positive, negative, rational, irrational, surd, radical, real, complex, imaginary, finite, infinite, impossible, numerically, modulo.

Refusal

VB refuse, reject, deny, decline, turn down, nill, negative, refuse one's assent, withhold one's assent, shake the head, close the hand, close the purse, grudge, begrudge, be slow to, hang fire, pass (at cards), be deaf to, dismiss, turn a deaf ear to, turn one's back upon, set one's face against, discountenance, not hear of, have nothing to do with, wash one's hands of, stand aloof, forswear, set aside, cast behind one, not yield an inch, resist, cross, not grant, repel, repulse, shut the door in one's face, slam the door in one's face, rebuff, send back, send to the right about, send away with a flea in the ear, deny oneself, not be at home to, discard, spurn, rescind, disclaim, protest, dissent.

Confutation

VB confute, refute, disprove, parry, negative, controvert, rebut, confound, disconfirm, redargue, expose, show the fallacy of, defeat, demolish, break, overthrow, overturn scatter to the winds, explode, invalidate, silence, put to silence, reduce to silence, clinch an argument, clinch a question, give one a setdown, stop the mouth, shut up, have, have on the hip, not leave a leg to stand on, cut the ground from under one's feet, be confuted, fail, expose one's weak point, show one's weak point, counter evidence.

Dissent

N dissent, discordance, difference diversity of opinion, nonconformity, protestantism, recusancy, schism, disaffection, secession, recantation, dissension, discontent, cavilling, protest, contradiction, noncompliance, dissentient, dissenter, non-juror, non-content, nonconformist, sectary, separatist, recusant, schismatic, protestant, heretic, refusal, dissenting, negative, dissident, dissentient, unconsenting, non-content, nonjuring, protestant, recusant, unconvinced, unconverted, unavowed, unacknowledged, out of the question, discontented, unwilling, extorted, sectarian, denominational, schismatic, heterodox, intolerant, no, at variance, at issue with, under protest, Int, God forbid!, not for the world, I'll be hanged if, never tell me, your humble servant, pardon me, many men many minds, quot homines tot sententiae, tant s'en faut, il s'en faut bien, no way, by no means, count me out.

Negation

VB deny, contradict, contravene, controvert, give denial to, gainsay, negative, shake the head, disown, disaffirm, disclaim, disavow, recant, revoke, dispute, impugn, traverse, rebut, join issue upon, bring in question, call in question, give the lie in his throat, give one the lie in his throat, deny flatly, deny peremptorily, deny emphatically, deny absolutely, deny wholly, deny entirely, give the lie to, belie, repudiate, set aside, ignore, rebut, qualify, refuse, recuse.

N negation, abnegation, denial, disavowal, disclaimer, abjuration, contradiction, contravention, recusation, protest, recusancy, flat contradiction, emphatic contradiction, emphatic denial, dementi, qualification, repudiation, retraction, confutation, refusal, prohibition, denying, denied, contradictory, negative, negatory, recusant, at issue upon, no, nay, not, nowise, not a bit, not a whit, not a jot, not at all, nohow, not in the least, not so, negative, negatory, no way, no such thing, nothing of the kind, nothing of the sort, quite the contrary, tout au contraire, far from it, tant s'en faut, on no account, in no respect, by no, by no manner of means, negatively, never, never in a million years, at no time, there never was a greater mistake, I know better, non haec in faedera, a thousand times no, negation, abnegation, denial, disavowal, disclaimer, abjuration, contradiction, contravention, recusation, protest, recusancy, flat contradiction, emphatic contradiction, emphatic denial, dementi, qualification, repudiation, retraction, confutation, refusal, prohibition, denying, denied, contradictory, negative, negatory, recusant, at issue upon, no, nay, not, nowise, not a bit, not a whit, not a jot, not at all, nohow, not in the least, not so, negative, negatory, no way, no such thing, nothing of the kind, nothing of the sort, quite the contrary, tout au contraire, far from it, tant s'en faut, on no account, in no respect, by no, by no manner of means, negatively, never, never in a million years, at no time, there never was a greater mistake, I know better, non haec in faedera, a thousand times no.

Painting

N painting, depicting, drawing, design, perspective, sciagraphy, skiagraphy, chiaroscuro, composition, treatment, historical painting, portrait painting, miniature painting, landscape painting, marine painting, still life, flower painting, scene painting, scenography, school, style, the grand style, high art, genre, portraiture, ornamental art, monochrome, polychrome, grisaille, pallet, palette, easel, brush, pencil, stump, black lead, charcoal, crayons, chalk, pastel, paint, watercolor, body color, oil color, oils, oil paint, varnish, priming, gouache, tempera, distemper, fresco, water glass, enamel, encaustic painting, mosaic, tapestry, photography, heliography, color photography, sun painting, graphics, computer graphics, picture, painting, piece, tableau, canvas, oil painting, fresco, cartoon, easel picture, cabinet picture, draught, draft, pencil drawing, water color drawing, etching, charcoal, pen-and-ink, sketch, outline, study, photograph, color photograph, black-and-white photograph, holograph, heliograph, daguerreotype, talbotype, calotype, heliotype, negative, positive, print, glossy print, matte print, enlargement, reduction, life-size print, instant photo, Polaroid photo, technicolor, Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Polaroid, portrait, whole length, full length, half length, kitcat, head, miniature, shade, silhouette, profile, landscape, seapiece, view, scene, prospect, panorama, diorama, still life, picture gallery, exhibit, studio, atelier, pinacotheca, painted, pictorial, graphic, picturesque, pencil, oil, in pencil, fecit, delineavit, mutum est pictura poema.

Engraving

N engraving, chalcography, line engraving, mezzotint engraving, stipple engraving, chalk engraving, dry point, bur, etching, aquatinta, chiseling, plate engraving, copperplate engraving, steel engraving, wood engraving, xylography, lignography, glyptography, cerography, lithography, chromolithography, photolithography, zincography, glyphography, xylograph, lignograph, glyptograph, cerograph, lithograph, chromolithograph, photolithograph, zincograph, glyphograph, holograph, impression, print, engraving, plate, steelplate, copperplate, etching, mezzotint, aquatint, lithotint, cut, woodcut, stereotype, graphotype, autotype, heliotype, graver, burin, etching point, style, plate, stone, wood block, negative, die, punch, stamp, printing, plate printing, copperplate printing, anastatic printing, color printing, lithographic printing, type printing, three-color process, illustration, illumination, half tone, photogravure, vignette, initial letter, cul de lampe, tailpiece, lapidary, lapidarian, insculptured, engraved, lapidary, sculpsit, imprimit.