negative

A2 Topic:Communication

US /ˈnɛɡ.ə.tɪv/ See IPA manual

Freq #2513

Meanings

1

adj
Bad, harmful, or unwanted.

The decision had a negative effect on the local economy.
2

adj
Focusing on the bad side of things; not hopeful or encouraging.

Try not to be so negative about your chances.
3

adj
(of a medical test) showing that a condition or disease is not present.

Her test results came back negative.
4

adj
Less than zero.

The temperature dropped to a negative number overnight.
5

noun
An answer or reply that means no.

They answered in the negative.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · bad, harmful, or unwanted. minus

2 adj · focusing on the bad side of... damaging

3 adj · (of a medical test) showing... disconfirming

4 adj · less than zero. minus

Opposites

affirmative positive

Word family

Forms negativednegativenessnegativesnegativing

Derived forms binegativeconnegativeelectronegativegeonegativegram-negativehiv-negativehomonegativehypernegativeimmunonegativeinternegativemultinegativeneg-raising

Related forms negate negationnegativismnegatory

Etymology

From Middle English negative, negatif, from Old French negatif, from Latin negātīvus (“that denies, negative”), from negāre (“to deny”); see negate.

*h₁eǵ- Proto-Indo-European negative Middle English negatif Old French negātīvus Latin

View etymology graph ->

External links

# negative

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈnɛɡ.ə.tɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 2513

## Meanings
1. Bad, harmful, or unwanted.
2. Focusing on the bad side of things; not hopeful or encouraging.
3. (of a medical test) showing that a condition or disease is not present.
4. Less than zero.
5. An answer or reply that means no.

## Examples
- The decision had a negative effect on the local economy.
- Try not to be so negative about your chances.
- Her test results came back negative.
- The temperature dropped to a negative number overnight.
- They answered in the negative.

## Antonyms
- affirmative
- positive

## Derived Forms
- binegative
- connegative
- electronegative
- geonegative
- gram-negative
- hiv-negative
- homonegative
- hypernegative
- immunonegative
- internegative
- multinegative
- neg-raising

## Related Forms
- negate
- negation
- negativism
- negatory

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₁eǵ-
- Root: negative
- Root: negatif
- Root: negātīvus

## Etymology
From Middle English negative, negatif, from Old French negatif, from Latin negātīvus (“that denies, negative”), from negāre (“to deny”); see negate.

## AI Etymology
Negative comes from Middle English negative, negatif, from Old French negatif, from Latin negātīvus (“that denies, negative”), from negāre (“to deny”); see negate. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵ-, Middle English negative, Old French negatif, and Latin negātīvus. Modern senses include bad, harmful, or unwanted and focusing on the bad side of things; not hopeful or encouraging. The wider word family includes derivatives such as binegative, connegative, electronegative, geonegative, gram-negative, and hiv-negative and related forms such as negate, negation, negativism, and negatory.

## Topics
- Communication
- Health & Medicine

markdown

negative

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