Meaning & use
Positive
Last updated
Characterized by optimism, affirmation, or a constructive outlook; also used to indicate the presence of something, such as a substance or a condition, rather than its absence.
See it in a sentence
She stayed positive despite the setbacks during the project.
The lab confirmed that the test result came back positive for the virus.
A note on using this word
In mathematics, "positive" describes a number greater than zero, while in medicine it usually indicates that a tested substance or condition was detected.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Greater than zero.
Only positive numbers are allowed in this field.
3. adjective
Indicating the presence of a specific substance, condition, or result in a test.
The pregnancy test came back positive.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Positive”, then compare your use with the examples above.