Meaning & use
negative
Expressing disapproval, harm, or the absence of something positive rather than its presence.
See it in a sentence
The reviewer gave a negative opinion of the film, calling it dull and slow.
Her test results came back negative, which relieved the whole family.
A note on using this word
In science and math, negative describes numbers below zero or an absent reaction, a distinct technical sense.
Words with a similar meaning
unfavorablepessimistic
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
positivefavorable
Another way to use it
2. noun
A photographic image with light and dark areas reversed, used to print photos.
He kept the old negatives from his father's camera in a shoebox.
Make it your own
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