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  false negative

  noun

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

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

See Examples For:

false-negative false negative

"We should be aware of these false-negative results," says lead author Inge Loes ten Kate, professor of astrobiology at Utrecht University and the University of Amsterdam.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 30, 2026

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

The country has also reshaped its testing policy around rapid antigen test kits, despite concerns over their accuracy and propensity for false-negative results, to save laboratory tests mostly for priority groups.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2022

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

From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013

It can take 10 to 15 minutes of scanning per slide, she says, to avoid giving a patient a false negative.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Researchers stress that these Martian minerals do not represent a known false negative.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 30, 2026

"It is an inherent feature of screening programmes that false negative results will occur and some of these will be attributable to human error," he said.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

Diagnosis can be tricky, Dalmau notes: All anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients have antibodies in their CSF, but not all have them in their blood, leading to false negative diagnoses if only serum is tested.

From Science Magazine ● May 15, 2024

Here are a few explanations for why you might get a false negative result — and how to increase your chances of accuracy next time.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 30, 2023