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false-positive

[ fawls-poz-i-tiv ]
/ ˈfɔlsˈpɒz ɪ tɪv /
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noun Also false positive .
Medicine/Medical.
  1. a test result that is incorrect because the test indicated a condition or finding that does not exist: a false-positive for syphilis.
  2. a person who receives this test result.
  1. 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.
  2. 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

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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