1. Characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features
   "a negative evaluation"; "a negative reaction to an advertising campaign"; "a negative outlook on life"; "a colourless negative personality"
    
2. Expressing or consisting of a negation or refusal or denial
   "He gave a negative response to the proposal"
    
3. Having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant
   "ran a negative campaign"; "delinquents retarded by their negative outlook on life"
    
4. (medicine) not indicating the presence of microorganisms, disease or a specific condition
   "the HIV test was negative";
   - disconfirming
    
5. Reckoned in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive
   "negative interest rates"
    
6. (mathematics) less than zero
   "a negative number"
    
7. Designed or tending to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions
   "negative criticism";
   - damaging
    
8. Having a negative charge
   "electrons are negative";
   - electronegative, negatively charged
    
9. Involving disadvantage or harm
   "negative factors";
   - minus

1. A reply of denial
   "he answered in the negative"
    
2. A piece of photographic film showing an image with light and shade or colours reversed
   "The photographer examined the negative before making prints";
   - neg [informal]

1. Vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent
   "The committee negatived the proposal due to budget constraints";
   - veto, blackball

Derived forms: negatives, negatived, negativing

See also: antagonistic, bad, charged, counter, destructive, disadvantageous, disinclined, dissentient, dissenting, dissident, Gram-negative, minus, perverse, pessimistic, quality, unfavorable [US], unfavourable [Brit, Cdn], unsupportive

Type of: contradict, controvert, denial, film, oppose, photographic film

Antonym: affirmative, neutral, positive

Encyclopedia: Negative, Part One