false-negative

American  

[fawls-neg-uh-tiv] / ˈfɔlsˈnɛg ə tɪv /

noun

1. Medicine/Medical.

   1. a test result that is incorrect because the test failed to recognize an existing condition or finding.

   2. a person who receives this test result.

2. 1. any screening test result that failed to detect a person or thing being sought.

      Let's hope the new body scanner doesn't give us any false-negatives.

   2. a person or thing that is missed by such a test.

      Retrain your spam filter if you’re getting too many false-negatives in your inbox.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or being a false-negative.

false negative British  

noun

1. a result in a medical test that wrongly indicates the absence of the condition being tested for

2. a person from whom such a result is obtained

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Etymology

Origin of false-negative

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

According to Offit, mothers weren’t always screened, tests could produce false-negative results, and pregnant moms can contract the disease later in pregnancy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025

It seems the agency’s main concern is that the drugs could lead to false-negative HIV screening tests in blood donations, meaning a test shows a donation does not have HIV when it actually does.

From Slate • May 19, 2023

But certain image-guided biopsies can produce errors, including false-negative results, and must be carried out under strict protocols to achieve high levels of accuracy.

From New York Times • Oct. 25, 2022

These tests are faster and less expensive than PCR tests, but there is an increased chance of false-negative results.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 11, 2022

A false-negative result is a negative test result that should have been positive.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013