positive

/ˈpɑzɪɾɪv/

/ˈpɒzɪtɪv/

Other forms: positives

In the simplest sense, positive means good — or the opposite of negative. If you have a positive attitude about homework, for example, you're more likely to get positive feedback on your report card.

Keeping track of positive's many meanings can be positively confusing. For starters, if you're positive about something, you're totally sure. In math, any quantity greater than zero is positive. In medicine, a positive result on a test indicates the presence of a disease. And that isn't a very positive experience for anyone.

Definitions of positive
  1. adjective
    characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.
    “a positive attitude”
    “the reviews were all positive”
    “a positive benefit”
    “a positive demand”
    Synonyms:
    affirmative, affirmatory
    affirming or giving assent
    constructive
    constructing or tending to construct or improve or promote development
    optimistic
    expecting the best in this best of all possible worlds
    affirmative, optimistic
    expecting the best
    constructive
    emphasizing what is laudable or hopeful or to the good
    supportive
    furnishing support or assistance
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    negative
    characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features
    neutral
    possessing no distinctive quality or characteristics
    destructive
    causing destruction or much damage
    pessimistic
    expecting the worst possible outcome
    antagonistic, counter
    indicating opposition or resistance
    perverse
    marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict
    neutralised, neutralized
    made neutral in some respect; deprived of distinctive characteristics
    viewless
    not having or expressing opinions or views
    unsupportive
    not furnishing support or assistance
    show more antonyms...
  2. adjective
    persuaded of; very sure
    “I am positive he is lying”
    synonyms: confident, convinced
    certain, sure
    having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
  3. adjective
    impossible to deny or disprove
    “proof positive”
    synonyms: incontrovertible, irrefutable
    undeniable
    not possible to deny
  4. adjective
    marked by excessive confidence
    “the less he knows the more positive he gets”
    synonyms: cocksure, overconfident
    confident
    having or marked by confidence or assurance
  5. adjective
    reckoned, situated or tending in the direction which naturally or arbitrarily is taken to indicate increase or progress or onward motion
    “positive increase in graduating students”
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    negative
    reckoned in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive
  6. adjective
    greater than zero
    “positive numbers”
    Synonyms:
    plus
    on the positive side or higher end of a scale
  7. adjective
    indicating existence or presence of a suspected condition or pathogen
    “a positive pregnancy test”
    synonyms: confirming
    Gram-positive
    (of bacteria) being or relating to a bacterium that retains the violet stain used in Gram's method
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    disconfirming, negative
    not indicating the presence of microorganisms or disease or a specific condition
    Gram-negative
    (of bacteria) being of or relating to a bacterium that does not retain the violet stain used in Gram's method
    show more antonyms...
  8. adjective
    having a positive charge
    “protons are positive”
    synonyms: electropositive, positively charged
    charged
    of a particle or body or system; having a net amount of positive or negative electric charge
  9. noun
    the primary form of an adjective or adverb; denotes a quality without qualification, comparison, or relation to increase or diminution
    synonyms: positive degree
    see moresee less
    type of:
    adjective
    a word that expresses an attribute of something
    adverb
    a word that modifies something other than a noun
  10. adjective
    involving advantage or good
    synonyms: plus
    advantageous
    giving an advantage
  11. adjective
    formally laid down or imposed
    “positive laws”
    synonyms: prescribed
    formal
    being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)
  12. adjective
    of or relating to positivism
    “positive philosophy”
    synonyms: positivist, positivistic
  13. noun
    a film showing a photographic image whose tones correspond to those of the original subject
    see moresee less
    type of:
    film, photographic film
    photographic material consisting of a base of celluloid covered with a photographic emulsion; used to make negatives or transparencies
Pronunciation
US

/ˈpɑzɪɾɪv/
UK

/ˈpɒzɪtɪv/
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Word Family

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