neg·a·tive
ˈne-gə-tiv 
1
a
: marked by denial, prohibition, or refusal
received a negative answer
also
: marked by absence, withholding, or removal of something positive
the negative motivation of shame —
Garrett Hardin
Garrett Hardin
b(1)
: denying a predicate (see predicate entry 1 sense 1a) of a subject or a part of a subject
"no A is B" is a negative proposition
(2)
: denoting the absence or the contradictory of something
nontoxic is a negative term
(3)
: expressing negation
negative particles such as no and not
c
: adverse, unfavorable
the reviews were mostly negative
2
a
: lacking positive qualities
b
: marked by features of hostility, withdrawal, or pessimism (see pessimism sense 1) that hinder or oppose constructive treatment or development
a negative outlook
negative criticism
c
: promoting a person or cause by criticizing or attacking the competition
ran a negative campaign
negative advertising
3
a(1)
: less than zero and opposite in sign to a positive (see positive entry 1 sense 4e) number that when added to the given number yields zero
−2 is a negative number
(2)
: having more outgo than income : constituting a loss
negative cash flow
negative worth
b
: extending or generated in a direction opposite to an arbitrarily chosen regular direction or position
negative angle
4
a
: being, relating to, or charged with electricity of which the electron is the elementary unit
b
: having more electrons than protons
a negative ion
c(1)
: having lower electric potential (see potential entry 1 sense 2b) and constituting the part toward which the current (see current entry 2 sense 3) flows from the external circuit
the negative pole
(2)
: being the electron-emitting electrode (see electrode sense 2) of an electron tube
5
a
: not affirming the presence of a condition, substance, or organism suspected to be present
also
: having a test result indicating the absence especially of a condition, substance, or organism
she is HIV negative
b
: directed or moving away from a source of stimulation
negative tropism
c
: less than the pressure of the atmosphere
negative pressure
6
: having the light and dark parts in approximately inverse (see inverse entry 1 sense 1) relation to those of the original photographic subject
7
of a lens
: diverging (see diverge sense 1) light rays and forming a virtual inverted image
1
3
a
: an expression (such as the word no) of negation or denial
b
: a negative number
4
: the side that upholds the contradictory proposition in a debate
5
: a negative photographic image on transparent material used for printing positive pictures
also
: the material that carries such an image
6
: a reverse impression taken from a piece of sculpture or ceramics
7
: a negative result (as of a test)
a high rate of false negatives
also
: a test yielding such a result
negatived; negativing
1
a
: to refuse assent to
b
: to reject by or as if by a vote
2
: to demonstrate the falsity of
3
: to deny the truth, reality, or validity of
4
Examples of negative in a Sentence
Adjective
Car exhaust has a negative effect on the environment.
the negative effects of the drug
The feedback about the new product was all negative.
Noun
“No” and “not” are negatives.
Can I have the negatives to make copies of the photos?
Verb
although the rebuttal was very eloquent, the jury negatived it in favor of the prosecution's argument
we promptly negatived the idea of having pizza again for dinner, noting that we had already had it for three nights that week
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashley Luthern, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
On free cash flow, a highly influential metric for Boeing, analysts are expecting a negative $626 million.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2025
JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025
Hesse shot over 200 hours of documentary footage in the early 1960s, creating an archive of negatives that capture the first few chapters of a nation’s history.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
On the way to scoring a 25-19, 25-9, 25-4 victory, UW was not blocked once, held the Bobcats to negative hitting in each set and in the final set tied a program record for fewest points allowed in a set.
—Mark Stewart, Journal Sentinel, 2 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for negative
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
There’s not a question that's a negative experience for a child, and at the same time, all members of the family deserve opportunities for healing.
—Ashley Luthern, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
On free cash flow, a highly influential metric for Boeing, analysts are expecting a negative $626 million.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2025
Noun
The collection includes 3,100 black-and-white images taken in nearly 300 villages, towns, and cities around the country as well as the negatives and detailed data sheets describing construction techniques, materials, and historical context for each building.
—JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025
Hesse shot over 200 hours of documentary footage in the early 1960s, creating an archive of negatives that capture the first few chapters of a nation’s history.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
In April, Moody’s revised the rating outlook for Thailand to negative from stable, flagging rising political uncertainty and sustained growth weakness.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
On the way to scoring a 25-19, 25-9, 25-4 victory, UW was not blocked once, held the Bobcats to negative hitting in each set and in the final set tied a program record for fewest points allowed in a set.
—Mark Stewart, Journal Sentinel, 2 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for negative
Cite this Entry
“Negative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negative. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
negative
1 of 3 adjective
neg·a·tive
ˈneg-ət-iv
1
: marked by denial, prohibition, or refusal
a negative reply
2
: not positive or helpful
a negative attitude
3
a
: less than zero and opposite in sign to a positive number
-2 is a negative number
b
: extending or measured in a direction opposite to one chosen as positive
a negative angle
4
a
: of, being, or relating to electricity of a kind of which the electron is the elementary unit
a negative charge
b
: having more electrons than protons
a negative particle
c
: being the part toward which the electric current flows from the outside circuit
the negative pole of a battery
5
a
: not indicating the presence of a particular germ or condition
a negative TB test
b
: directed or moving away from a source of stimulation
a negative tropism
6
: having the light and dark parts approximately opposite to those of the thing or person photographed
negative
2 of 3 noun1
: a reply that indicates denial or contradiction : refusal
2
: something that is the opposite or negation of something else
3
: an expression (as the word no) of negation or denial
4
: a negative number
5
: the side that argues or votes against something in a debate
6
: a negative photographic image on transparent material used for printing positive pictures
also
: the material that carries such an image
negative
3 of 3 verb
negatived; negativing
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