false-positive
[ fawls-poz-i-tiv ]
/ ˈfɔlsˈpɒz ɪ tɪv /
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noun Also false positive .
Medicine/Medical.
- a test result that is incorrect because the test indicated a condition or finding that does not exist: a false-positive for syphilis.
- a person who receives this test result.
- any screening test result that incorrectly detected or classified a person or thing: A false-positive at the airport could cause you to miss your flight.
- a person or thing identified by such a test.
adjective
pertaining to or being a false-positive: The test has a false-positive rate of 4%.
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Compare false-negative.
Origin of false-positive
First recorded in 1910–15
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use false-positive in a sentence
Nine years ago, heads rolled after the BBC was found guilty of making a false positive, of running an inaccurate story.
It is much less likely to produce a false positive, adds Dr. Thompson, than an initial screening test would be.
It's called "the paradox of the false positive," and it's a doozy.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
British Dictionary definitions for false-positive
false positive
noun
a result in a medical test that wrongly indicates the presence of the condition being tested for
a person from whom such a result is obtained
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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