positive

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Adjective 1.3.1 Antonyms 1.3.2 Derived terms 1.3.3 Translations 1.4 Noun 1.4.1 Derived terms 1.4.2 Translations 2 French 2.1 Adjective 3 Italian 3.1 Adjective

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Old (and modern) French positif, or Latin positivus, from the past participle stem of ponere (“‘to place’”). Compare posit.

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpɒzɪtɪv/ SAMPA: /"pQzɪtɪv/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

Hyphenation: po‧si‧tive

[edit] Adjective

positive (comparative more positive, superlative most positive)

1. Definitively laid down; explicitly stated; clearly expressed, precise, emphatic.
   • Francis Bacon:

     Positive words, that he would not bear arms against King Edward’s son.

2. Fully assured, confident; certain.

   I’m absolutely positive you've spelt that wrong.

3. Overconfident, dogmatic.
   • Alexander Pope:

     Some positive, persisting fops we know, That, if once wrong, will needs be always so.

4. (grammar) Describing the primary sense of an adjective or adverb; not comparative or superlative.

   ‘Better’ is an irregular comparative of the positive form ‘good’.

5. Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations; absolute.

   The idea of beauty is not positive, but depends on the different tastes of individuals.

6. Wholly what is expressed; colloquially downright, entire, outright.

   Good lord, you've built up a positive arsenal of weaponry here.

7. Characterized by the existence or presence of qualities or features, rather than by their absence.

   The box was not empty – I felt some positive substance within it.

8. Characterized by the presence of features which support a hypothesis.

   The results of our experiment are positive.

9. Characterized by affirmation, constructiveness, or influence for the better; favourable.

   He has a positive outlook on life.

   The first-night reviews were largely positive.

   • Jonathan Swift:

     a positive voice in legislation.

10. (chiefly philosophy) Actual, real, concrete.
    • Francis Bacon:

      Positive good.

11. (photography) Of a visual image, true to the original in light, shade and colour values.

    A positive photograph can be developed from a photographic negative.

12. (physics) Having more protons than electrons.

    A cation is a positive ion as it has more protons than electrons.

13. (mathematics) Of number, greater than zero.
14. (slang) HIV positive.

[edit] Antonyms

• (physics): negative

[edit] Derived terms

• positive crystal
• positive degree
• positive electricity
• positive eyepiece
• positive law
• positive motion
• positive philosophy
• positive pole
• positive quantity
• positive rotation
• positive sign
• positive contribution

[edit] Translations

[edit] Noun

positive (plural positives)

1. A thing capable of being affirmed; something real or actual.
2. A favourable point or characteristic.
3. Something having a positive value in physics, such as an electric charge.
4. (grammar) An adjective or adverb in the positive degree.
5. (photography) A positive image; one that displays true colors and shades, as opposed to a negative.

[edit] Derived terms

• double positive

[edit] Translations

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[edit] French

[edit] Adjective

positive

1. Feminine form of positif.

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[edit] Italian

[edit] Adjective

positive pl.

1. Feminine form of positivo.