Negater

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The individual or thing that denies, contradicts, or nullifies something
2. an entity that opposes or counters another's influence or effect
3. a term used to describe a factor that renders an idea, statement, or condition invalid or void

Etymology: "Negater" is a plain formation: the verb "negate" with the agent suffix "-er" added, so it names whatever or whoever does the negating. The verb "negate" comes from Latin "negare," meaning "to deny" or "to say no," and English took it up as a learned verb meaning to deny the existence or truth of something, and later to nullify or cancel its effect. Adding "-er" to a verb to form a doer noun is one of English's most productive habits, and "negater" follows the same pattern as "debater" or "annihilator." The word is far less common than its relatives. Most readers will meet "negation" or the adjective "negative" long before they meet the agent noun, and dictionaries tend to list it mainly as a formal or technical term. Its meaning is therefore easy to work out from its parts: a negater is anything that cancels out, contradicts, or undoes another thing.

Synonyms: denier, refuter, contradictor

Antonyms: confirmer, approver