negative

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

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

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

negative muon
a muon carrying a negative electric charge

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Accentuate the positive
Matching variant: Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative

Simplified etymology

Negative entered English in the late Middle English period from Latin negare “to deny,” also the source of deny. Its use for the reversed light-and-dark photographic image dates from the mid-19th century.

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 ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

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
- Describing Qualities

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