negative

The word “negative” means expressing disapproval, pessimism, or something undesirable. In plain terms, the opposite of positive — bad, unwanted, below zero, or a "no" result.

“Negative” is pronounced NEHG-uh-tihv (/ˈnɛɡ.ə.tɪv/ in IPA).

Here is “negative” used in a sentence: “The reviews were overwhelmingly negative.”

The opposite of “negative” — its antonyms — are positive and affirmative.

Depending on how it is used, “negative” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “negative” comes from Latin. From Latin negativus, "that denies," from negare, "to deny" — the root behind negate.

“Negative” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Negative” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: expressing disapproval, pessimism, or something undesirable.

The words sound alike but mean different things. 'Negative' describes an attitude or outlook — expressing disapproval, pessimism, or something undesirable. 'Negligent' means failing to take proper care, being careless about a duty. A negative person complains; a negligent person neglects. Only the first is about mood or opinion.

Not always. As an attitude, 'negative' usually signals pessimism or disapproval, which is unwelcome. But in other fields it is neutral or even good news — a negative medical test means no disease was found, and in maths or electricity 'negative' simply denotes a sign or direction, with no judgement attached.

The opposite of 'negative' is 'positive' — expressing approval, optimism, or something desirable. A positive attitude looks on the bright side, where a negative one dwells on problems. Depending on context, 'upbeat', 'favourable', and 'encouraging' also work well as opposites of a negative outlook.