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negative

negative

213 3.2
Less than zero in amount, value, or temperature
  • adjective
  • /ˈnɛɡətɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : negativo
  • In mathematics, a negative number is less than zero, such as -5.
  • positive and negative
  • negative correlation
  • negative growth

More positive mass inside or negative mass outside pushing in?

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Examples

  • Is this AIA net positive or a net negative for humanity?

  • Interest rates then rose to negative 19 percent in 1981 and negative 13 percent in 1983.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Now we just have E to the negative St.

  • So we give it, we give it a negative sign like that.

  • And so the the price went negative for for a short time there.

  • And so we're pretty secure in our negative cash flow at least.

  • So I have G of negative X = -X.

  • Every time it goes near negative, you have this green circle.

  • And soon we're likely to see negative inflation at dealerships.

  • If I equals the square root of negative one, then I squared equals negative one.

Synonyms

minus
vsnegative
3 2.8

Below zero, used for numbers or grades

applies more generally to values, amounts, and electrical charge
negatively charged
vsnegative
  • Specialized
2 4.6

A particle or object that has more electrons than protons

applies to values, amounts, or charge in many fields not only electricity

Antonyms

37 1.0

A number that is greater than zero

7 4.1

Showing an increase, for example an upward slope

Compounds

A way of thinking that expects bad things to happen

negative feedback
  • Specialized
10 3.9

Part of a system's output that is sent back to reduce change and keep it stable

5 5.8

A simple, harmful idea about a group of people

A bad way to show or talk about something

3 5.6

A sentence that uses two negative words in the same clause

negative charge
  • Specialized
2 4.1

A state when an object has more electrons than protons and so attracts positive objects, for example a rubbed balloon

negative correlation
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A connection between two things where one goes up as the other goes down

A tendency to expect bad things to happen

An account amount below zero when you owe money to the bank

negative Nancy
  • Offensive
1 8.9

A person who always expects bad things to happen

negative Nelly
  • Offensive
1 8.2

A person who always expects the worst and often complains

Something unpleasant that makes an action less likely

Rh-negative blood
  • Specialized
1 5.0

Blood with red blood cells that do not have the Rh factor

7.3

The end of a magnet that points toward the Earth's south

negative muon
  • Specialized
9.9

A tiny charged particle that lasts about 2 microseconds and becomes an electron and two neutrinos

Negative Ned
  • Offensive
8.7

A person who always sees the bad side of things

negative pole
  • Specialized
3.9

The end of a magnet that points toward the Earth's south

negative bitchola
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who often thinks things will go wrong and complains

negative chemotaxis
  • Specialized
7.8

Movement of a cell or small organism away from a chemical

4.6

An electronic system that returns part of the output to reduce and steady the signal

7.7

A way to show someone is not one of the known people so they cannot make multiple accounts

negative pole
  • Specialized
4.0

The end of a battery marked with a minus sign that connects to the black wire

negative reinforcer
  • Specialized
7.9

Taking away something unpleasant makes a person or animal do something more often

A thing taken away to make an action less likely, for example leaving a room when a child cries

An unpleasant thing that makes someone feel bad or lose interest

6.0

A blood group in which red blood cells do not have the Rh factor

Rh negative
  • Specialized
6.8

Having blood whose red blood cells do not have the Rh factor

How Positive

positive
37 1.0
nonnegative
  • Specialized
5.1
zero
  • Specialized
26 1.0
nonpositive
  • Specialized
6.5
negative
  • Specialized
213 3.2

Surface Forms

negative positive
negativer comparative
negativest superlative

Morphology

negative = negate (transparent) = negate + ive

The adjective is a regular adjective formation from the verb 'negate' with the productive suffix '-ive', and its meaning ('not' or 'less than zero/opposite') follows directly from the base notion of negation.

Etymology

Negative comes from the Latin verb negare, which means 'to deny' or 'say no'. So a negative number is like a number that is 'not' positive or is the opposite, less than zero.