Negativus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A term used to describe something characterized by denial or absence of affirmation
2. denoting a state or quality that is contrary or adverse
3. used in various contexts to indicate opposition or a lack of positivity

Etymology: "Negativus" is the Late Latin adjective from "negare," "to deny" or "to say no," itself built from "ne," "not," and "aio," "I say." The Latin form "negativus" was a grammatical term, used by writers to mark a statement as a denial, as opposed to an affirmation. The sense of "adverse" or "contrary" that the current meaning reflects is a later extension, so the word's original job was logical and grammatical rather than emotional. English took the word through French "négatif" in the 15th century, and in the early period it was used mainly in grammar and logic, where a "negative" proposition or particle denied something. The Latin root "negare" also gave English "deny," which passed into English through Old French "denier," showing that "negative" and "deny" are close relatives that arrived by different routes. The sense of "contrary or adverse" grew out of the logical sense: if something is the negation of a thing, it stands against that thing. By the 17th and 18th centuries the word was applied to attitudes and conditions in general, so that a "negative" outcome came to mean one that opposes what was hoped for.

Synonyms: negative

Antonyms: positive