All 3 Uses of
negative
in
The Chrysalids
- We did not, and because we did not, we had no positive — we were condemned to negatives, to not revealing ourselves, to not speaking when we would, to not using what we knew, to not being found out — to a life of perpetual deception, concealment, and lying.
Chpt 9 *negatives = focusing on things not done--rather than on things done
- As far as I was concerned a firm grasp of the negative in the cause of survival had been quite enough to occupy me; I was only just beginning to perceive the vacancy left by the absent positive.
Chpt 9 *negative = bad or harmful
- The prospect of continued negativeness stretching out ahead chafed him more than it did the rest of us.†
Chpt 9
Definitions:
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(1)
(negative as in: had a negative effect) bad or harmful
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(2)
(negative as in: negative feedback from customers) to express criticism or disagreement, or (especially when talking over a radio or in a military setting) to say "no"
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(3)
(negative as in: a negative attitude) pessimistic (emphasizing bad things) or disagreeable
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(4)
(negative as in: The test came back negative.) did not find a condition or substance to be present
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(5)
(negative as in: a negative number) less than zero
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(6)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) See a comprehensive dictionary for less common meanings of negative including some in the fields of electricity, physics, chemistry, medicine, photography, and grammar. Note that most non-technical senses of negative indicate that something is bad or lacking.