Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Negative |
NegativeAdjective1. Characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features; "a negative outlook on life"; "a colorless negative personality"; "a negative evaluation"; "a negative reaction to an advertising campaign". 2. Reckoned in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive. 3. Having a negative electric charge; "electrons are negative". 4. Expressing or consisting of a negation or refusal or denial. 5. Having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant; "ran a negative campaign"; "delinquents retarded by their negative outlook on life". 6. (medicine) not indicating the presence of microorganisms or disease or a specific condition; "the HIV test was negative". 7. (mathematics) less than zero; "a negative number". 8. Designed or tending to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions; "negative criticism". 9. Involving disadvantage or harm; "minus (or negative) factors". Noun1. A reply of denial; "he answered in the negative". 2. A piece of photographic film showing an image with black and white tones reversed. Verb1. Vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "negative" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
Etymology: Negative \Neg"a*tive\, adjective. [French n['e]gatif, Latin negativus, from negare to deny. See Negation.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Chemistry | A matrix the surface of which is the reverse of the surface to be ultimately produced by electro-forming. Source: European Union. (references) |
Fine Arts | In photography, an image on a film, plate or paper in which light or transparent areas represent the dark tones of the original subject. Source: European Union. (references) |
| A photographic image with tonal values reversed in relation or complementary to the original. Source: European Union. (references) | |
General | Reversed form of original art or type. Source: European Union. (references) |
Post & Telecom | The negation frequently used during space communications in preference to "no", since it is clearer and more definite for transmission purposes. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A negative number is a number that is less than zero, such as -3. A positive number is a number that is greater than zero, such as 3. Zero itself is neither negative nor positive. The non-negative numbers are the positive numbers together with zero. Note that some numbers are neither negative nor non-negative, for example the imaginary unit i.
Negative numbers
These include negative integers, negative rational numbers, negative real numbers, negative hyperreal numbers, and negative surreal numbers.Negative integers can be regarded as an extension of the natural numbers, such that the equation x - y = z has a meaningful solution for all values of x and y. The other sets of numbers are then derived as progressively more elaborate extensions and generalizations from the integers.
Negative numbers are useful to describe values on a scale that goes below zero, such as temperature, and also in bookkeeping where they can be used to represent debts. In bookkeeping, debts are often represented by red numbers, or a number in parentheses.
Positive numbers
In the context of complex numbers positive implies real, but for clarity one may say "positive real number". Zero is not a positive number, though in computing zero is sometimes treated as though it were a positive number (due to the way that numbers are typically represented).
Non-negative numbers
A number is nonnegative if and only if it is greater than or equal to zero, i.e. positive or zero. Thus the nonnegative integers are all the integers from zero on upwards, and the nonnegative reals are all the real numbers from zero on upwards.
A real matrix A is called nonnegative if every entry of A is nonnegative.
A real matrix A is called totally nonnegative by matrix theorists or totally positive by computer scientists if the determinant of every square submatrix of A is nonnegative.
Arithmetic involving signed numbers
Addition and subtraction
For purposes of addition and subtraction, one can think of negative numbers as debts. Adding a negative number is the same as subtracting the corresponding positive number:
Subtracting a positive number from a smaller positive number yields a negative result:
- 5 + (-3) = 5 - 3 = 2 (if you have $5 and acquire a debt of $3, then you have a net worth of $2)
- -2 + (-5) = -2 - 5 = -7
Subtracting a positive number from any negative number yields a negative result:
- 4 - 6 = -2 (if you have $4 and spend $6 then you have a debt of $2).
Subtracting a negative is equivalent to adding the corresponding positive:
- -3 - 6 = -9 (if you have a debt of $3 and spend another $6, you have a debt of $9).
Also:
- 5 - (-2) = 5 + 2 = 7 (if you have a net worth of $5 and you get rid of a debt of $2, then your new net worth is $7).
- (-8) - (-3) = -5 (if you have a debt of $8 and get rid of a debt of $3, then you still have a debt of $5).
Multiplication
Multiplication of a negative number by a positive number yields a negative result: (-2) · 3 = -6. The reason is that this multiplication can be understood as repeated addition: (-2) · 3 = (-2) + (-2) + (-2) = -6. Alternatively: if you have a debt of $2, and then your debt is tripled, you end up with a debt of $6.
Mulitplication of two negative numbers yields a positive result: (-3) · (-4) = 12. This situation cannot be understood as repeated addition, and the analogy to debts doesn't help either. The ultimate reason for this rule is that we want the distributive law to work:
The left hand side of this equation equals 0 · (-4) = 0. The right hand side is a sum of -12 + (-3) · (-4); for the two to be equal, we need (-3) · (-4) = 12.
- (3 + (-3)) · (-4) = 3 · (-4) + (-3) · (-4).
Computing
On a computer, the sign of a number (whether it is positive or negative) is usually expressed using the left-most bit. If the bit is 1, the whole number is negative, otherwise the number is not negative (zero or positive). Such an integer or variable is called signed. There are many different ways to represent numbers; see Integral data type for more information on how integers are typically represented on computers. The most common system for representing negative integers in a fixed set of bits is termed "two's complement", in which negative numbers are represented by complementing the absolute value and then adding one to the value as if it were unsigned. For example, if an integer is expressed by 8 bits,
digits binary actual value 0 00000000 0 1 00000001 1 .... 126 01111110 126 127 01111111 127 128 10000000 -128 129 10000001 -127 130 10000010 -126 .... 254 11111110 -2 255 11111111 -1Usually, the computer's central processing unit (CPU) can use both signed and unsigned variables. In typical computer architectures there is no way to determine if a given digit is signed or unsigned at runtime because 255 and -1, for instance, appear the same in memory, and both addition, subtraction and multiplication are identical between signed and unsigned values, assuming overflow is ignored, by simply cutting off higher bits than can be stored. The datatype of the value dictates which operation should be applied.
There is a duplicate material at Computer numbering formats.
Complement
Complementing a binary number means changing all the 0s to 1s and all the 1s to 0s; a Boolean NOT on each bit. A byte, holding 8 bits, can represent the values 00000000 (0) to 11111111 (25510), if all bits are used to represent the magnitude of the number. This is called an unsigned integer.To represent both positive and negative (signed) integers, the convention is that the most significant bit of the binary representation of the number will be used to indicate the sign of the number, rather than contributing to its magnitude; three formats have been used for representing the magnitude: sign-and-magnitude, one's complement, and two's complement, the latter being by far the most common nowadays.
Sign-and-magnitude
Sign-and-magnitude is the simplest and most like human writing forms. The MSB is set to 0 for a positive number or zero, and set to 1 for a negative number. The remaining bits in the number indicate the (positive) magnitude. Hence in a byte with only seven bits (apart from the sign bit), the magnitude can range from 0000000 (0) to 1111111 (127). Thus you can represent numbers from -12710 to +12710. -43 encoded in a byte this way is 10101011.
Ones' complement
The ones'-complement representation of a negative number is created by taking the complement of its positive counterpart. For example, negated 00101011 (43) becomes 11010100 (-43) (Notice how this is different from the sign-and-magnitude convention where the same bit pattern would be -84). The PDP-1 and UNIVAC 1100/2200 series use ones'-complement arithmetic. The range of signed numbers using one's complement in a byte is -12710 to +12710.
Two's complement
Both ones'-complement and sign-and-magnitude have two ways to represent zero: 00000000 (+0) and 11111111 (-0) in one's-complement and 10000000 in sign-and-magnitude. This is sometimes problematic (since hardware for adding and subtracting becomes more complicated, as does testing for 0).To avoid this, and to also make integer addition simpler, the two's-complement representation is the one generally used. The two's-complement representation is created by first complementing the positive number, then adding 1 to it. Thus 00101011 (43) becomes 11010101 (-43).
In two's-complement, there is only one zero (00000000). Negating a negative number involves the same operation: complementing, then adding 1. The pattern 11111111 now represents -110 and 10000000 represents -12810; that is, the range of two's-complement integers is -12810 to +12710.
To add two two's-complement integers, treat them as unsigned numbers, add them, and ignore any potential carry over (this is essentially the great advantage that two's-complement has over the other conventions). The result will be the correct two's-complement number, unless both summands were positive and the result is negative or both summands were negative and the result is non-negative. The latter cases are referred to as "overflow" or "wrap around"; the addition cannot be carried out in 8 bit two's-complement in these cases. For example:
00101011 (+43) 11010101 (-43) 00101011 (+43) 10011010 (-101) + 11010101 (-43) + 11100011 (-29) + 11100011 (-29) + 10110001 (- 79) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 00000000 ( 0) 10111000 (-72) 00001110 (+14) 01001011 (overflow)
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Negative and non-negative numbers."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Negative feedback is a type of feedback.Open systems (ecological, biological, social) contain many types of regulatory circuits, among which positive and negative feedbacks. Positive and negative does not mean desirable or not. The negative feedback loop tends to slow down a process, while the positive feedback loop tends to accelerate it.
When a change of variable occurs in a system, it reacts to regain its equilibrium.
In the negative feedback, the system responds in such a way as to reverse the direction of change. Since this tends to keep things constant, it is stabilizing and allows to maintain homeostasis.
See also:
- Donella Meadows' twelve leverage points to intervene in a system
- stability criterion
External links
- http://www.biology-online.org/4/1_physiological_homeostasis.htm
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Negative feedback."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
| NEF | English | Negative regulatory factor | Medicine |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonyms: NegativeSynonyms: damaging (adj), disconfirming (adj), electronegative (adj), minus (adj), blackball (v), veto (v). (additional references) |
| Antonyms: neutral (adj), positive (adj), affirmative (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Confutation | Verb: confute, refute, disprove; parry, negative, controvert, rebut, confound, disconfirm, redargue, expose, show the fallacy of, defeat; demolish, break; (destroy); overthrow, overturn scatter to the winds, explode, invalidate; silence; put to silence, reduce to silence; clinch an argument, clinch a question; give one a setdown, stop the mouth, shut up; have, have on the hip. |
Contrariety | Adjective: contrary, contrarious, contrariant; opposite, counter, dead against; converse, reverse; opposed, contrasted, antipodean, antagonistic, opposing; conflicting, inconsistent, contradictory, at cross purposes; negative; hostile. differing toto coelo; diametrically opposite; diametrically opposed; as opposite as black and white, as opposite as light and darkness, as opposite as fire and water, as opposite as the poles; as different as night and day; " Hyperion to a satyr"; quite the contrary, quite the reverse;no such thing, just the other way, tout au contraire. |
Dissent | Adjective: dissenting; v; negative; dissident, dissentient; unconsenting; (refusing); non-content, nonjuring; protestant, recusant; unconvinced, unconverted. |
Engraving | Graver, burin, etching point, style; plate, stone, wood block, negative; die, punch, stamp. |
Evidence | Verb: countervail, oppose; mitigate against; rebut; (refute); subvert; (destroy); cheek, weaken; contravene; contradict; (deny); tell the other side of the story, tell another story, turn the scale, alter the case; turn the tables; cut both ways; prove a negative. |
Government | Negative campaigning, dirty politics, smear campaign. |
Inexistence | Adjective: inexistent, nonexistent; negative, blank; missing, omitted; absent insubstantial, shadowy, spectral, visionary. |
Negation | Verb: deny; contradict, contravene; controvert, give denial to, gainsay, negative, shake the head. |
Adverb: no, nay, not, nowise; not a bit, not a whit, not a jot; not at all, nohow, not in the least, not so; negative, negatory; no way; no such thing; nothing of the kind, nothing of the sort; quite the contrary, tout au contraire, far from it; tant s'en faut; on no account, in no respect; by no, by no manner of means; negatively. | |
Adjective: denying;Verb: denied;Verb: contradictory; negative, negatory; recusant; (dissenting); at issue upon. | |
Number | Positive, negative; rational, irrational; surd, radical, real; complex, imaginary; finite; infinite; impossible. |
Painting | Photograph, color photograph, black-and-white photograph, holograph, heliograph; daguerreotype, talbotype, calotype, heliotype; negative, positive; print, glossy print, matte print; enlargement, reduction, life-size print; instant photo, Polaroid photo. |
Prototype | Text, copy, design; fugleman, keynote. die, mold; matrix, last, plasm; proplasm, protoplasm; mint; seal, punch, intaglio, negative; stamp. |
Recession | Electrical charge; positive charge, negative charge. |
Refusal | Verb: refuse, reject, deny, decline, turn down; nill, negative; refuse one's assent, withhold one's assent; shake the head; close the hand, close the purse; grudge, begrudge, be slow to, hang fire; pass. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Negative |
| English words defined with "negative": double negative ♦ Negative crystal, negative electricity, negative muon, negative pole, Negative quantity. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "negative": compound negative multinomial distribution, Contingent Negative Variation ♦ decapitated negative binomial distribution ♦ INSPECTOR, CIRCUITRY NEGATIVE ♦ negative acknowledge, negative checker, negative turner, negative wire ♦ the negative track. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "negative": Nayward. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Negative" is also a word in the following language with English translations in parentheses. German (negative, negatively). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Husband negative. Children and a Labrador negative (There's Something About Mary; writing credit: Ed Decter; John J. Strauss) You have got to buck up, man. You cannot drag this negative energy in to the tournament (The Big Lebowski; writing credit: Ethan Coen; Joel Coen) Every aerial photo and recon report indicate a defensive arsenal in the D, and perhaps negative C, categories (Hot Shots!; writing credit: Jim Abrahams; Pat Proft) Just don't get negative on me. (Outbreak; writing credit: Laurence Dworet; Robert Roy Pool) I have it; they want it; and they will do anything to get the negative. I'm keeping this diary as proof that these events are real (Nowhere Man; writing credit: David E. Peckinpah; Richard Jefferies) | |
Lyrics | I think negative, done (Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You); performing artist: Janet Jackson) Simple solution negative end (Manic Demise; performing artist: The Creation) | |
Clever | I took an IQ test, and the results were negative. (references; author: unknown) Positive anything is better than negative nothing. (references; author: unknown) When someone asks, "Do you want my opinion?", it's always a negative one. (references; author: unknown) Before giving a blood transfusion, find out if the blood is affirmative or negative. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Columbo: Negative Reaction (1974) Negative Pickup (2003) Virtues of Negative Fascination (1986) Double Negative (1985) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books | |||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
| ||
High Tech |
| ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Shows illustration of breast structure: rib, muscle, lobes, ducts, nipple, areola, fat. (8x10 negative). Credit: Susan Spangler (artist). |  | (1) (4x5) black and white negative (original), (1) (8x10) black and white negative, (9) (8x71/2) black and white prints. Shows illustration of nude woman indicating tumors and portion of breast to be removed as result of modified radical mastectomy. See artwork: BC-08b. Credit: Donald Gates (artist). |
 | Transmission electron micrograph of reovirus type 3. Both inner and outer capsid shells are present. Some virions are penetrated by negative stain. Credit: CDC. |  | Giardia lamblia. Indirect fluorescent antibody stain. Negative test. Parasite. Credit: CDC. |
 | Neisseria gonorrhoeae was among the differential diagnostic etiologic agents. However, the gram negative diplococci, here associated with these epithelial cells, were found in a male patient who had no signs of urethritis. Credit: CDC. |  | The ulcerations are for the most part painless, and granulomatous in nature, i.e. chronic inflammation. The C. granulomatis bacterium is a bipolar, Gram negative organism, previously name Donovania granulomatis. Credit: CDC. |
 | Rectifying camera used to make one negative from composite nine-lens photographs. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Figure 2. Display model of Aime's second wave study instrument built in 1839 and tested in the anchorage at Algiers in 40 meters water depth for one month. This gave negative results even during periods of poor weather. The device weighed nearly 200 pounds. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
 | The petri dishes below show sterilization effects of negative air ionization on a chamber aerosolized with Salmonella enteritidis. The left sample is untreated; the right, treated. P. Credit: USDA ARS News; photo by Ken Hammond.. |  | Animal behavioral paradigms used to explore the positive and negative reinforcing actions of alcohol and other drugs. Credit: NIAA. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Negative" by Eoghan Mcnally Commentary: "Roll of film." | "Negative Dresser" by Shonna Clark Commentary: "A negative exposure of my dresser." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Ansel Adams | The negative is comparable to the composer's score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways. |
Buddha | Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts. |
Elbert Hubbard | Positive anything is better than negative nothing. |
Harry Emerson Fosdick | Self denial is not negative repression but the cost of positive achievement. |
Karl Von Clausewitz | Defense is the stronger form with the negative object, and attack the weaker form with the positive object. |
W. Clement Stone | Bondage is... subjection to external influences and internal negative thoughts and attitudes. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
Marbury v. Madison | 1803 | Affirmative words are often, in their operation, negative of other objects than those affirmed; and in this case, a negative or exclusive sense must be given to them or they have no operation at all. (reference) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | The guide made a negative sign of the head, probably treacherous |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | If your test is negative, you can take precautions to avoid infection. (references) | |
In case cultures yield negative results, serologic testing is advised. (references) | ||
What may be a negative factor for one person may be positive for another. (references) | ||
Business | The reaction of the public continues to be more negative than positive. (references) | |
Both negative and positive images of imported products seem to exist in Korea. (references) | ||
McDonald’s has taken steps in both Belgium and France to overcome any negative sentiments. (references) | ||
Children | Switzerland | Claiming that the financial consequences of the proposed change in law would have a negative impact on the economy, the Federal Council submitted an alternative draft law to Parliament in October. (references) |
Civil Liberties | Turkey | An appeal may be lodged within 15 days of a negative decision by the authorities. (references) |
Syria | In addition most journalists and writers practice self-censorship to avoid provoking a negative government reaction. (references) | |
Economic History | Somalia | Annual growth rate: Less than 1%, possibly negative. (references) |
Uruguay | Zero or slightly negative GDP growth is likely for 2001. (references) | |
Haiti | This has had a negative effect on shippers to Haiti's ports. (references) | |
Human Rights | Norway | This change has not had any negative consequences. (references) |
El Salvador | A vehement, public dispute that began in 2000 between the acting Ombudsman and some employees exacerbated these negative trends. (references) | |
Bolivia | The Government criticizes human rights advocates for paying attention exclusively to the negative aspects of the Government's performance. (references) | |
Minorities | Moldova | The independent press occasionally writes very negative articles about religions other than the Orthodox Church. (references) |
Russia | The report details how these regional educators and administrators propagate conspiracy theories and negative stereotypes about Jews. (references) | |
Azerbaijan | In June the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) became the subject of several negative press reports on independent television stations. (references) | |
Political Economy | Russia | Corruption continued to be a negative factor in the development of the economy and commercial relations. (references) |
Portugal | Currently, there are no major political issues, which would have a negative effect on Portugal's business climate. (references) | |
SAUDI ARABIA | SAGIA developed a negative list of 22 areas in the industrial and service sectors off-limits to foreign investment. (references) | |
Political Rights | Belarus | The OSCE/ODIHR found the broadcast media also overwhelmingly negative. (references) |
Jordan | Restrictions on the press and on campaign materials also had a negative effect on the campaign, which elicited much debate over the fairness of the previous electoral law and its implementation. (references) | |
Kyrgyz Republic | Central Election Commission Chairman Sulaiman Imanbaev conceded that violations occurred but accused the OSCE of bowing to pressure from unnamed political forces to give an overly negative evaluation of the election. (references) | |
Trade | Kenya | Some negative factors, however, still exist. (references) |
Pakistan | Goods not on the negative list may be freely imported. (references) | |
Pakistan | Pakistan controls certain imports through the negative list. (references) | |
Travel | Italy | Avoid commenting on political events or negative comments about the country. (references) |
Moldova | Any person applying for a visa for a stay of more than three months must present a certificate showing that the individual is HIV negative. (references) | |
Colombia | In spite of the negative perceptions reflected through the often distorted prism of international news reporting about Colombia's security problems, first-time business visitors are usually pleasantly surprised at the high level of development and sophistication of the Colombian private sector. (references) | |
Women | Bulgaria | Some observers believe that women's organizations tend to be associated with political parties or professional groups because feminism has negative societal connotations. (references) |
Kyrgyz Republic | Women make up the majority of pensioners who have felt the negative effects of the country's economic downturn, which has led to inflation and the erosion of pensions that often were paid late. (references) | |
Germany | The law prohibits violence against women and the Government has implemented a vast array of legal and social structures to combat it. Societal attitudes toward such violence are strongly negative, and legal and medical recourse are available. (references) | |
Worker Rights | Nepal | Cultural attitudes toward returned victims of trafficking are often negative and the Government response sometimes reflects that bias. (references) |
Belarus | Women seldom report incidences of trafficking to police because of a generally negative public opinion about law enforcement authorities, shortcomings in legislation on the subject, and the insufficient protection of victims and witnesses. (references) | |
Peru | Labor regulations permit companies unilaterally to propose temporary changes in work schedules, conditions, and wages, and to suspend collective bargaining agreements for up to 90 days, if obliged to do so by worsening economic circumstances or other unexpected negative developments, provided that they give their employees at least 15 days' notice of such changes. (references) | |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | HALF, n. One of two equal parts into which a thing may be divided, or considered as divided. In the fourteenth century a heated discussion arose among theologists and philosophers as to whether Omniscience could part an object into three halves; and the pious Father Aldrovinus publicly prayed in the cathedral at Rouen that God would demonstrate the affirmative of the proposition in some signal and unmistakable way, and particularly (if it should please Him) upon the body of that hardy blasphemer, Manutius Procinus, who maintained the negative. Procinus, however, was spared to die of the bite of a viper. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Nancy Pelosi | I don't know if the White House is, but I do know that what I see on a daily basis in Congress is that is the case, and certainly we have heard rhetoric from the White House that would reinforce that negative message from the Congress. |
Robert Novak | Mr. Chairman, the president, on his trip to China, stressed the importance of the relationship between the two governments and took the positive rather than the negative. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
John Adams | 1797-1801 | But as the governor is to be invested with the executive power, with consent of council, I think he ought to have a negative upon the legislative. |
Ronald Reagan | 1981-1989 | We must face squarely the implications of this negative trend and make adequate, stable defense spending a top goal both this year and in the future. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Negative" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 99.02% of the time. "Negative" is used about 4,289 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 99.02% | 4,247 | 2,313 |
| Noun (singular) | 0.98% | 42 | 52,864 |
| Total | 100.00% | 4,289 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "negative": air negative ♦ answer in the negative ♦ compound negative multinomial distribution ♦ Contingent Negative Variation ♦ copy negative ♦ decapitated negative binomial distribution ♦ double negative ♦ duplicate negative ♦ estrogen receptor negative ♦ False Negative Reactions ♦ Gram negative ♦ Lower Body Negative Pressure ♦ negative acceleration ♦ negative acknowledge ♦ negative acknowledgement ♦ negative answer ♦ negative appearing image ♦ negative attitude ♦ negative axillary lymph nodes ♦ negative campaigning ♦ negative cash flow ♦ negative catalyst ♦ negative charge ♦ negative chemotaxis ♦ negative comment ♦ negative comments ♦ negative correlation ♦ negative crystal ♦ negative demonstration ♦ negative dihedral ♦ negative electricity ♦ negative example ♦ negative eyepiece ♦ negative feedback ♦ negative feedback circuit ♦ negative film ♦ negative g ♦ negative geotropic ♦ negative hydrotropism ♦ negative ideas ♦ negative interest ♦ negative ion ♦ negative lead ♦ negative load factor ♦ negative magnetic pole ♦ negative matrix ♦ negative muon ♦ negative number ♦ negative phototaxis ♦ negative phototropism ♦ negative plate ♦ negative pole ♦ negative pregnant ♦ negative prescription ♦ negative pressure ♦ negative pressure valve ♦ negative proton ♦ negative quantity ♦ negative reinforcer ♦ negative reinforcing stimulus ♦ negative reply ♦ negative rotation ♦ negative security assurances ♦ negative segregate band ♦ negative sign ♦ Negative Staining ♦ negative stimulation ♦ negative stimulus ♦ negative theorem ♦ negative thigmotaxis ♦ negative turner ♦ negative voice ♦ negative volume variance ♦ negative vote ♦ negative wire ♦ optically negative ♦ progesterone receptor negative ♦ prove a negative ♦ qualified negative ♦ reversed negative ♦ Rh negative ♦ rhesus negative. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "negative": negative-energy, negative-feedback, negative-g, negative-going, negative-pressure, Negative-Pressure, negative-reinforcement, negative-sloping, negative-sounding, negative-work-hours. | |
Ending with "negative": ab-negative, ii-negative, non-negative. | |
Containing "negative": Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacteria, Gram-Negative Aerobic Rods and Cocci, Gram-Negative Anaerobic Bacteria, Gram-Negative Anaerobic Cocci, Gram-Negative Bacteria, Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections, Gram-Negative Chemolithotrophic Bacteria, Gram-Negative Facultatively Anaerobic Rods, Gram-Negative Oxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria, Rh-negative blood type, whatever-negative-description-you-can-come-up-with. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "negative"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | neutralizoj (counteract, counterbalance, neutralize, scotch), negativ (minus), ndaloj (arrest, balk, ban, bar, baulk, block, break down, cease, challenge, close down, come to a halt, debar, detain, disallow, disqualify, enjoin, estop, forbid, halt, impede, inhibit, interdict, nip, prevent, prohibit, proscribe, pull up, stall, stop, tackle, withhold), ndalim (arrest, attachment, ban, cessation, defence, detention, disallowance, embargo, Forbiddance, halt, inhibition, interdict, interdiction, juju, lid, prohibition, stay, stop, stoppage, stopping, taboo), shfuqizoj (abolish, abrogate, invalidate, negate, nullify, repeal, rescind), refuzoj (debar, decline, deny, disallow, disavow, disclaim, override, overrule, rat, rebuff, refuse, reject, relinquish, renounce, spurn, throw over, thumb down, withhold), refuzim (denial, disallowance, disclaimer, disclamation, nay, no, rebuff, refusal, rejection, renouncement, repulse, set down, spurn), pol negativ, mohues (contradictious, privative), mohor (negatory), mohoj (abnegate, deny, disaffirm, disavow, disclaim, disown, gainsay, negate, rat, refuse, repudiate, retract, set aside), mohim (abnegation, denial, disavowal, disclaimer, negation, no, recantation, retractation), i kundërt (adverse, antagonistic, backward, contrariety, contrary, converse, counter, cross, dissonant, divergent, opposed, opposite, polar, reverse). (various references) | |
Arabic | معكوس (converse, counter, inverse, opposite, reverse), هدام (destructive, noxious, ruinous), نكر (contradict, controvert, deny, deny oneself, disallow, disbelieve, disclaim, gainsay, negate, rebut, recant, renege, renounce, repudiate, retract, unreel), نقض (break, countermand, dart, descend, disallow, hurl curses, precipitate, rebuttal, recantation, repeal, rescind, storm, swoop, veto), حايد (counteract, neutralize), سلبي (minus, passive, predatory, supine, unfavorable, unfavourable), سالب (bereaved, extortioner, negatory), عارض (adventitious, disagree, discountenance, dissent, exhibitor, join issue with, mind, nix, not to hold with, object, oppose, part company, precarious, protest, take issue wit), عبارة سلبية, صد (alienation, baffle, balk, baulk, bear down, beat, beat off, blast, estop, estoppel, exclusion, fend, fend off, fight off, hit, hit back, hold off, jolt, kick, parry, poach, push, push aside, push back, quash, rebuff, repel, repudiate, repulse, repulsion, return, riposte, snub, spurn, stamp down, stave, stay, stay away, stem, throwback, toss, turn away, ward, ward off), السلبي الفعل, أقل من ضغط الجو, رفض (decline, defy, denial, denied, deny, disallow, disapproval, disapprove, dismiss, ignore, negate, negation, nix, objection, odium, overrule, pass up, rebuff, refusal, refuse, reject, rejection, renouncement, repel, reprobate, repudiate, repudiation, repulse, scorn, set aside, throw out, throw over, toss, turn down), دحض (break, confute, demolish, disclaim, disproof, disprove, falsification, falsify, objection, rebut, rebuttal, refutation, refute, squash). (various references) | |
Breton | ne (negative particle). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | отказ (abandonment, declination, denial, nay, no, refusal, rejection, repulse, surrender, thumbs down, traverse), преча на (cross, fetter, handicap, impede, incommode, intercept, obstruct, prevent, retard, shackle, trammel, weigh against), без положителни качества, налагам вето на (veto), не одобрявам (damn, disapprove, discountenance, disesteem, disfavor, disfavour, object, object to, turn away), негатив, негативен, правя безполезен, опровергавам (belie, confute, contradict, deflate, deny, disprove, impugn, overturn, rebut, refute), вето (veto), отказвам (decline, deny, misfire, protest, rebuff, refuse, thumb down), отхвърлям (abnegate, avoid, cast away, cast down, challenge, decline, demur, deny, disallow, disclaim, dismiss, except, exclude, fling away, ignore, kiss off, override, proscribe, rebuff, rebut, refuse, refute, renounce, repudiate, scout, set aside, throw back, throw down, throw off, throw out, toss away, toss over, vote down, wash out, wave aside), отрицание (negation, no), отрицателен (minus, negatory, privative, subzero, uncomplitary, unfavorable, unfavourable), отрицателна величина, отрицателно качество, отричам (abnegate, denounce, disclaim, gainsay, negate, proscribe, renounce, repudiate, retract, testify against), неутрализирам (counteract, kill, neutralize, nullify). (various references) | |
Chinese | 陰 (cloudy, feminine, moon, overcast, shady, Yin), 負 (lose, to bear, to carry), 底片 (photographic plate), 消极, 否定 . (various references) | |
Czech | negativní, záporný (negatory), záporné tvrzení, záporná odpovìï, záporná hodnota, záporka, zápor (drawback, negation). (various references) | |
Danish | negativ (photographic plate, reverse). (various references) | |
Dutch | negatief (cliché, cut, half-tone, stereotype), cliché (cliché, cut, half-tone, stereotype). (various references) | |
Esperanto | negativo, negativa, kliŝo (clich@, cut, half-tone, stereotype). (various references) | |
Faeroese | rangmynd (cliché, cut, half-tone, stereotype), prentmynd (cliché, cut, half-tone, stereotype), prentmót (cliché, cut, half-tone, stereotype). (various references) | |
Finnish | negatiivi. (various references) | |
French | rejeter (negate), négatif (negative matrix). (various references) | |
Frisian | negatyf. (various references) | |
German | negativ (adverse, minus, negatively, unfavorable, unfavorably, unfavourable, unfavourably). (various references) | |
Greek | όχι (nix, no, non, nope, not), πλάκα φωτογραφική, άρνηση (denial, disallowance, disavowal, disclaimer, negation, rebuff, refusal), αρνητικόσ, αρνητικός, αρνητικό (negative appearing image, reverse), αρνητική μήτρα (negative matrix), αρνούμαι (abnegate, dcline, decline, deny, disavow, disclaim, gainsay, negate, rebuff, refuse), αναιρώ (confute, negate, quash, recant, refute, rescind, reverse, unsay). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מאופס (zeroed), תשליל, שלילי (adverse, unfavorable), נגטיב. (various references) | |
Hungarian | tagadószó, nemleges, negatív (minus). (various references) | |
Indonesian | negatif. (various references) | |
Italian | negativo (minus, unfavorable, unfavourable). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 陰性 , 負 (minus), 種板 , 原板 , ネオン管 (bottleneck, drip-dry, import restriction list, Is it so?, nack chain, Nebraska, neck, neckerchief, necking, necklace, neckline, necktie, necktie pin, necrophilia, necrophobia, nector, negative color, neglect, negligee, negotiation, Nelson, neon tube, nepenta, nephron, nephrosis, nepotism, Neptune, neptunium, Nescafe, -ness, nest, nest table, nesting, Nestle, net, net ball, Net citizen, net in, net play, net price, net score, netball falling in, netizen, net-mask, nettopology, network, network administration, networker, networking, Nevada, Never give up!, Never happen, Never mind, next, no carbon, no-iron, permanent snowpatch, Really?, several tables inside each other, tie, wash and wear), 打消し (denial, negation), 打消 (denial, negation), 打ち消し (denial, negation), 消極 (conservative, passive), 消極 (conservative), 否定的 (contradictory). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | たねいた, ネガティブ , ネガ , しょうきょく (conservative, short piece of music), ひていてき (contradictory), うちけし (denial, negation), ふ (affix, append, captive, generally, giving to, instructor, minus, music, negative prefix, non, note, pawn, prisoner, refer to, score, slave, submitting to, tutor, un, victim, widely), いんせい (falling star, government by cloistered emperors, graduate student, meteor, prosperity, secluded life, unsettledweather), げんばん (mold, original edition, original recording, pressing plates, typesetting plates), げんぱん (mold, original edition, pressing plates, typesetting plates). (various references) | |
Korean | 부정 (Denial, Denying, INJUSTICE, Negation, no, wrong). (various references) | |
Manx | obballagh (denier, forbidding, negativist, refutable, self-denying), jiooldey (cast off, deny, disclaim, dismiss, disown, dissent, eliminate, exclude, negate, negation, refuse, reject, rejection, renouncement, repudiate, repudiation, spurn, traverse), jiooldagh (bilious, dissident, nauseating, nauseous, revolting, sickly, squeamish), cur noi (alienate, counter, deprecation, resist), bun-yalloo. (various references) | |
Papiamen | negativo. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | egativenay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | negativo (minus, negative film, privative), < |
