–adjective
1.
expressing or containing negation or denial: a negative response to the question.
2.
refusing consent, as to a proposal: a negative reply to my request.
3.
expressing refusal to do something: He maintained a negative attitude about cooperating.
4.
prohibitory, as a command or order.
5.
characterized by the absence of distinguishing or marked qualities or features; lacking positive attributes ( opposed to positive): a dull, lifeless, negative character.
6.
lacking in constructiveness, helpfulness, optimism, cooperativeness, or the like: a man of negative viewpoint.
7.
being without rewards, results, or effectiveness: a search of the premises proved negative.
8.
Mathematics, Physics .
a.
involving or noting subtraction; minus.
b.
measured or proceeding in the direction opposite to that which is considered as positive.
9.
Photography . noting an image in which the brightness values of the subject are reproduced so that the lightest areas are shown as the darkest.
10.
Electricity .
a.
of, pertaining to, or characterized by negative electricity.
b.
indicating a point in a circuit that has a lower potential than that of another point, the current flowing from the point of higher potential to the point of lower potential.
11.
Medicine/Medical . failing to show a positive result in a test for a specific disease caused by either bacteria or viruses.
12.
Chemistry . (of an element or group) tending to gain electrons and become negatively charged; acid.
13.
Physiology . responding in a direction away from the stimulus.
14.
of, pertaining to, or noting the south pole of a magnet.
15.
Logic . (of a proposition) denying the truth of the predicate with regard to the subject.
–noun
16.
a negative statement, answer, word, gesture, etc.: The ship signaled back a negative.
17.
a refusal of assent: to answer a request with a negative.
18.
the negative form of statement.
19.
a person or number of persons arguing against a resolution, statement, etc., especially a team upholding the negative side in a formal debate.
20.
a negative quality or characteristic.
21.
disadvantage; drawback: The plan is generally brilliant, but it has one or two negatives.
22.
Mathematics .
a.
a minus sign.
b.
a negative quantity or symbol.
23.
Photography . a negative image, as on a film, used chiefly for making positives.
24.
Electricity . the negative plate or element in a voltaic cell.
25.
Archaic . a veto, or right of veto: The delegation may exercise its negative.
–adverb
26.
(used to indicate a negative response): “You won't come with us?” “Negative.”
–verb (used with object)
27.
to deny; contradict.
28.
to refute or disprove (something).
29.
to refuse assent or consent to; veto.
30.
to neutralize or counteract.
–interjection
31.
(used to indicate disagreement, denial of permission, etc.): Negative, pilot—complete your mission as directed.
—Idiom
32.
in the negative, in the form of a negative response, as a refusal, denial, or disagreement; no: The reply, when it finally came, was in the negative.