Negative
/ˈnɛɡ.ə.tɪv/noun
Expressing denial, refusal, or absence; in mathematics, less than zero.
Did you know?Its deepest ancestor is tied to a root meaning “to say no” or “deny,” which also lives in words for negation across Indo-European languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ne-
“negative particle meaning “not””
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷneh₃-
“to know”
Latin
Latin
negāre
“to deny, refuse, say no”
Latin
Latin
negātīvus
“denying, expressing negation”
Middle English
English
negative
“expressing denial or negation”
Modern English
English
negative
“expressing denial, refusal, or absence; in mathematics, less than zero”