Definitions of positive [ˈpɒz ɪ tɪv]

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Definition of 'positive'

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

1. (adj.) positive
confident in opinion or assertion; sure:
He is positive that he'll win.

2.  positive
showing or expressing approval or agreement; favorable:
a positive reaction to the speech.

3.  positive
expressing or containing an assertion or affirmation; affirmative:
a positive answer.

4.  positive
emphasizing what is laudable, hopeful, or to the good; constructive:
a positive attitude.

5.  positive
explicitly or emphatically stated, stipulated, or expressed; definite:
a positive denial.

6.  positive
admitting of no question; incontrovertible:
positive proof.

7.  positive
overconfident or dogmatic.

8.  positive
without relation to or comparison with other things; not relative or comparative; absolute.

9.  positive
downright; out-and-out:
a positive genius.

10.  positive
not speculative or theoretical; practical:
a positive approach to the problem.

11.  positive
possessing an actual force, being, existence, etc.

12.  positive
Philos.

13.  positive
constructive and sure, rather than skeptical.

14.  positive
concerned with or based on matters of experience:
positive philosophy.

15.  positive
consisting in or characterized by the presence or possession of distinguishing or marked qualities or features (opposed to negative).

16.  positive
noting the presence of such qualities, as a term.

17.  positive
measured or proceeding in a direction assumed as beneficial, progressive, or auspicious:
a positive trend.

18.  positive
determined by enactment or convention; arbitrarily laid down:
positive laws.

19.  positive
noting or pertaining to the electricity in a body or substance that is deficient in electrons.

20.  positive
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.

21.  positive
of, pertaining to, or noting the north pole of a magnet.

22.  positive
(of a chemical element or group) tending to lose electrons and become positively charged; basic.

23.  positive
(of blood, affected tissue, etc.) showing the presence of disease.

24.  positive
(of a diagnostic test) indicating the presence of the disease, condition, etc., tested for.

25.  positive
(of a person) diagnosed as having a specified disease or medical condition.

26.  positive
noting a numerical quantity greater than zero.

27.  positive
of or designating the initial degree of grammatical comparison, used with reference to the simple, base form of an adjective or adverb, as good or smoothly.

28.  positive
(of government) assuming control or regulation of activities beyond those involved merely with the maintenance of law and order.

29.  positive
Biol. oriented or moving toward the focus of excitation:
a positive tropism.

30.  positive
of or designating a photographic print or transparency showing the brightness values as they are in the subject.

31. (n.) positive
something positive.

32.  positive
a positive quality or characteristic.

33.  positive
a positive quantity or symbol.

34.  positive
the positive degree in grammatical comparison.

35.  positive
the positive form of an adjective or adverb.

36.  positive
a positive photographic image, as on a print or transparency.

Etymology: (1250–1300; ME positif (< MF) < L positīvus.)

Definition of 'positive'

Princeton's WordNet

1. (noun) positive, positive degree
the primary form of an adjective or adverb; denotes a quality without qualification, comparison, or relation to increase or diminution

2. (adj) positive
a film showing a photographic image whose tones correspond to those of the original subject

3. (adj) positive
characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.
"a positive attitude"; "the reviews were all positive"; "a positive benefit"; "a positive demand"

4. (adj) convinced(p), positive(p), confident(p)
persuaded of; very sure
"were convinced that it would be to their advantage to join"; "I am positive he is lying"; "was confident he would win"

5. (adj) plus, positive
involving advantage or good
"a plus (or positive) factor"

6. (adj) positive, confirming
indicating existence or presence of a suspected condition or pathogen
"a positive pregnancy test"

7. (adj) positive, prescribed
formally laid down or imposed
"positive laws"

8. (adj) incontrovertible, irrefutable, positive
impossible to deny or disprove
"incontrovertible proof of the defendant's innocence"; "proof positive"; "an irrefutable argument"

9. (adj) positivist, positivistic, positive
of or relating to positivism
"positivist thinkers"; "positivist doctrine"; "positive philosophy"

10. (adj) positive
reckoned, situated or tending in the direction which naturally or arbitrarily is taken to indicate increase or progress or onward motion
"positive increase in graduating students"

11. (adj) positive
greater than zero
"positive numbers"

12. (adj) positive, electropositive, positively charged
having a positive charge
"protons are positive"

13. (adj) cocksure, overconfident, positive
marked by excessive confidence
"an arrogant and cocksure materialist"; "so overconfident and impudent as to speak to the queen"; "the less he knows the more positive he gets"

Definition of 'positive'

Kernerman English Learner’s Dictionary

1. (adjective) positive
≠ uncertain
Are you positive (that) she lives on this street?; You need to be absolutely positive about your decision.

2.  positive
≠ negative
a positive attitude toward her studies; positive thinking

3.  positive
≠ negative
a positive experience; The event was described in a positive way.

4.  positive
≠ negative
a positive test result; to test positive for drugs

5.  positive
≠ negative
positive numbers

Definition of 'positive'

Webster Dictionary

1. (adj) positive
having a real position, existence, or energy; existing in fact; real; actual; -- opposed to negative

2. (adj) positive
derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations; absolute; -- opposed to relative; as, the idea of beauty is not positive, but depends on the different tastes individuals

3. (adj) positive
definitely laid down; explicitly stated; clearly expressed; -- opposed to implied; as, a positive declaration or promise

4. (adj) positive
hence: Not admitting of any doubt, condition, qualification, or discretion; not dependent on circumstances or probabilities; not speculative; compelling assent or obedience; peremptory; indisputable; decisive; as, positive instructions; positive truth; positive proof

5. (adj) positive
prescribed by express enactment or institution; settled by arbitrary appointment; said of laws

6. (adj) positive
fully assured; confident; certain; sometimes, overconfident; dogmatic; overbearing; -- said of persons

7. (adj) positive
having the power of direct action or influence; as, a positive voice in legislation

8. (adj) positive
corresponding with the original in respect to the position of lights and shades, instead of having the lights and shades reversed; as, a positive picture

9. (adj) positive
electro-positive

10. (adj) positive
hence, basic; metallic; not acid; -- opposed to negative, and said of metals, bases, and basic radicals

11. (noun) positive
that which is capable of being affirmed; reality

12. (noun) positive
that which settles by absolute appointment

13. (noun) positive
the positive degree or form

14. (noun) positive
a picture in which the lights and shades correspond in position with those of the original, instead of being reversed, as in a negative

15. (noun) positive
the positive plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell

Translation of 'positive'

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

Sense: meaning or saying `yes' a positive answer; They tested the water for the bacteria and the result was positive (= the bacteria were present).
Afrikaans: positief	Arabic: إيجابي	Bulgarian: положителен
Brazilian: positivo	Czech: souhlasný, kladný	German: positiv
Danish: positiv	Greek: θετικός	Spanish: positivo, afirmativo
Estonian: jaatav	Farsi: مثبت	Finnish: positiivinen
French: positif	Hebrew: חִיוּבִי	Hindi: सकारात्मक
Croatian: pozitivan	Hungarian: állító, pozitív	Indonesian: positif
Icelandic: jákvæður	Italian: positivo	Japanese: 肯定の
Korean: 긍정적인	Lithuanian: teigiamas	Latvian: pozitīvs; apstiprinošs
Malay: positif	Dutch: positief	Norwegian: bekreftende, positiv
Polish: pozytywny	Persian: مثبت	Pashto: مثبت
Portuguese: positivo	Romanian: pozitiv	Russian: утвердительный
Slovak: pozitívny, kladný	Slovenian: pozitiven	Serbian: pozitivan
Swedish: positiv	Thai: ซึ่งถูกต้อง	Turkish: olumlu
Taiwanese: 肯定的(答覆)	Ukrainian: позитивний	Urdu: ہاں، مثبت جواب
Vietnamese: khẳng định; dương tính	Chinese: 肯定的（答复）
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