negative
5 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of NEGATIVE
1
[more negative; most negative]
:
harmful or bad
:
not wanted
—
opposite positive
-
Car exhaust has a negative effect/impact on the environment.
-
the negative effects of the drug
-
We had a very negative [=unpleasant] experience at the restaurant.
2
[more negative; most negative]
:
thinking about the bad qualities of someone or something
:
thinking that a bad result will happen
:
not hopeful or optimistic
—
opposite positive
-
She has a negative attitude about the new plan. [=she only thinks about the things that can go wrong with the new plan]
-
Why do you have such a negative outlook on the merger? [=why do you think the merger won't work?]
-
“I know we're going to lose.” “Don't be so negative.” [=pessimistic]
3
a
:
expressing dislike or disapproval
—
opposite positive
-
The reviews were mostly negative. [=unfavorable]
-
The feedback about the new product was all negative.
-
There are no negative feelings between us. [=we do not dislike each other]
b
:
showing or talking about the bad qualities of someone or something
-
The senator is running a negative campaign. [=a campaign that criticizes the other candidate instead of saying what good things the senator wants to do]
-
negative advertising [=advertising that criticizes competitors]
4
[more negative; most negative]
:
expressing denial or refusal
—
opposite affirmative
-
a negative reply/answer [=a reply of “no”]
-
negative words like “no” and “not”
-
“I didn't hear anything” is a negative phrase/construction/statement.
7
:
not showing the presence of a particular germ, condition, or substance
—
opposite positive
-
a negative HIV test
-
Her pregnancy test was negative. [=her test showed that she was not pregnant]
— negatively
adverb-
a negatively charged particle
-
The patient reacted negatively to the new drug. [=the patient had harmful side effects from the drug]
-
Customers responded negatively to the new product. [=customers did not like the new product]
2
negative
/ˈnɛgətɪv/
noun
plural
negatives
2
negative
/ˈnɛgətɪv/
noun
plural
negatives
Britannica Dictionary definition of NEGATIVE
[count]
1
:
something that is harmful or bad
—
opposite positive
-
One of the negatives [=drawbacks] of the house is that it's on a busy street.
-
Since the positives outweigh the negatives, I'm going to take the job. [=there are more good things about the job than bad things]
2
:
a word or statement that means “no” or that expresses a denial or refusal
—
see also double negative
-
“No” and “not” are negatives.
3
:
an image on film that is used to make a printed photograph and that has light areas where the photograph will be dark and dark areas where the photograph will be light
also
:
the film that has such an image
—
compare positive
-
Can I have the negatives to make copies of the photos?
4
:
the result from a test that shows that a particular germ, condition, or substance is not present
—
opposite positive
-
There is a high rate of false negatives for this test. [=this test often incorrectly indicates that something is not present when it really is]
in the negative
formal
:
with a reply that means “no”
—
compare in the affirmative at 2affirmative
-
She answered (the question) in the negative. [=she answered “no”]
