Definitions for negativeˈnɛg ə tɪv

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

neg•a•tiveˈnɛg ə tɪv(adj.; n.; adv.; v.; interj.)-tived, -tiv•ing

(adj.)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 or resistance:
a negative attitude about cooperating.
unfavorable:
negative criticism.
Category: Common Vocabulary
prohibitory, as a command or order.
lacking positive attributes (opposed to positive):
a negative character.
lacking in constructiveness, helpfulness, optimism, or the like:
a negative approach to problem solving.
being without rewards, results, or effectiveness:
a search of the premises proved negative.
Math. involving or noting subtraction; minus. measured or proceeding in the direction opposite to that which is considered as positive.
Category: Physics, Math
Photog. noting an image in which the brightness values of the subject are reproduced so that the lightest areas are shown as the darkest.
Category: Photography
of or pertaining to the electric charge of a body that has an excess of electrons. (of a point in a circuit) having lower potential, therefore drawing the flow of current.
Category: Electricity and Magnetism
Med. failing to show a positive result in a diagnostic test.
Chem. (of an element or group) tending to gain electrons and become negatively charged; acid.
Category: Chemistry
Physiol. responding in a direction away from the stimulus.
Category: Physiology
of, pertaining to, or noting the S pole of a magnet.
Category: Physics
Logic. (of a proposition) denying the truth of the predicate with regard to the subject.
Category: Philosphy
(n.)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.
one or more persons arguing against a resolution, statement, etc., esp. a team in a formal debate.
a negative quality or characteristic.
disadvantage; drawback:
a brilliant plan with only one negative.
Category: Common Vocabulary
Math. a minus sign. a negative quantity or symbol.
Category: Math
Photog. a negative image, as on a film, used chiefly for making positives.
Category: Photography
Archaic. a veto, or right of veto.
(adv.)(used to indicate a negative response):
“You won't come with us?”“Negative.”
Category: Common Vocabulary
(v.t.)to deny; contradict.
to refute or disprove (something).
to refuse assent or consent to; veto.
to neutralize or counteract.
(interj.)(used to indicate disagreement, denial of permission, etc.)
Category: Common Vocabulary

Origin of negative:

1350–1400; ME negatif < MF < L negātīvus denying

neg′a•tive•ly(adv.)

Princeton's WordNet

negative(noun)
a reply of denial
"he answered in the negative"
negative(adj)
a piece of photographic film showing an image with light and shade or colors reversed
negative(adj)
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"
negative(adj)
expressing or consisting of a negation or refusal or denial
negative(adj)
having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant
"ran a negative campaign"; "delinquents retarded by their negative outlook on life"
negative, disconfirming(adj)
not indicating the presence of microorganisms or disease or a specific condition
"the HIV test was negative"
negative(adj)
reckoned in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive
"negative interest rates"
negative(adj)
less than zero
"a negative number"
damaging, negative(adj)
designed or tending to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions
"negative criticism"
negative, electronegative, negatively charged(adj)
having a negative charge
"electrons are negative"
minus, negative(verb)
involving disadvantage or harm
"minus (or negative) factors"
veto, blackball, negative(verb)
vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent
"The President vetoed the bill"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

negative(adjective)ˈnɛg ə tɪv
≠ positive
a negative view of life
negativeˈnɛg ə tɪv
≠ positive
The situation had a negative effect on the economy.
negativeˈnɛg ə tɪv
≠ positive
The pregnancy test was negative.; to test negative for drugs
negativeˈnɛg ə tɪv
in grammar, relating to sth that expresses the idea of "no" or "not"
a negative clause
negativeˈnɛg ə tɪv
(of a number) being less than zero
Five minus six is negative one.
negative(noun)ˈnɛg ə tɪv
sth that means "no"
He replied in the negative.
negativeˈnɛg ə tɪv
an image used to produce a photograph in which dark things look light and light things look dark
She was looking at the negatives.

Wiktionary

negative(Noun)
refusal or withholding of assents; veto, prohibition
negative(Noun)
an image in which dark areas represent light ones, and the converse
negative(Noun)
a word that indicates negation
negative(Noun)
a negative quantity
negative(Noun)
: A rep performed with weight in which the muscle begins at maximum contraction and is slowly extended; a movement performed using only the eccentric phase of muscle movement.
negative(Verb)
To veto
negative(Verb)
To contradict
negative(Verb)
To disprove
negative(Adjective)
not positive or neutral
negative(Adjective)
of electrical charge of an electron and related particles
negative(Adjective)
of number, less than zero
negative(Adjective)
denying a proposition
negative(Adjective)
damaging; undesirable; unfavourable
negative(Adjective)
pessimistic; not tending to see the bright side of things. (Often used pejoratively.)
negative(Adjective)
bad, unwanted, disagreeable, potentially damaging, to be avoided, excessively difficult; (often precedes 'energy', 'feeling', 'emotion' or 'thought').

Origin: From negativus, from negare; see negate.

Webster Dictionary

Negative(adj)
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
Negative(adj)
not positive; without affirmative statement or demonstration; indirect; consisting in the absence of something; privative; as, a negative argument; a negative morality; negative criticism
Negative(adj)
asserting absence of connection between a subject and a predicate; as, a negative proposition
Negative(adj)
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
Negative(adj)
metalloidal; nonmetallic; -- contracted with positive or basic; as, the nitro group is negative
Negative(noun)
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
Negative(noun)
a word used in denial or refusal; as, not, no
Negative(noun)
the refusal or withholding of assents; veto
Negative(noun)
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
Negative(noun)
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
Negative(noun)
the negative plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell
Negative(verb)
to prove unreal or intrue; to disprove
Negative(verb)
to reject by vote; to refuse to enact or sanction; as, the Senate negatived the bill
Negative(verb)
to neutralize the force of; to counteract

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

Negative
in photography a picture of an object in which the lights and shadows are reversed, so that the shady part appears white and the light in it appears dark.