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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

false-negative false negative

The 99.86% sensitivity translated to an average false-negative rate of ~0.14%.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 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

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

An article in Nature, published on Sept. 16, 2020, had cautioned that because such speedy antigen tests needed robust virus samples “to produce a positive result … the test might give a false-negative result.”

From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2021

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

From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013

In a small study on people with insomnia, when they were given a false negative sleep score, those individuals reported sleepiness and fatigue, as well as lower levels of alertness and clear thinking.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

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

World Athletics insists the new tests are now "extremely accurate and the risk of false negative or positive is extremely unlikely".

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2025

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

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