negate
Americanverb (used with object)
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negates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
negated,
past participle, past
-
negating
present participle
-
to deny the existence, evidence, or truth of.
an investigation tending to negate any supernatural influences.
-
to nullify or cause to be ineffective.
Progress on the study has been negated by the lack of funds.
verb (used without object)
-
negates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
negated,
past participle, past
-
negating
present participle
verb
-
to make ineffective or void; nullify; invalidate
-
to deny or contradict
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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negaternoun
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negatornoun
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renegateverb (used with object)
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self-negatingadjective
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unnegatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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negatesimple
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negatessimple
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have negatedperfect
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has negatedperfect
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am negatingprogressive
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are negatingprogressive
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is negatingprogressive
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have been negatingperfect progressive
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has been negatingperfect progressive
Past
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negatedsimple
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had negatedperfect
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was negatingprogressive
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were negatingprogressive
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had been negatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of negate
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin negātus “denied,” past participle of negāre “to deny, refuse,” from neg-, variant of nec “not”; see neglect
Explanation
If something neutralizes the effect of something else, then you can say the effect is negated. Hanging a disco ball from your living room ceiling negates the sleek modern effect created by the contemporary furniture. If something is proved false or untrue, it has been negated. The discovery of one dinosaur jaw negated the conventional wisdom that all dinosaurs were vegetarians, since the tooth structure proved that guy definitely ate meat. The verb negate can also mean to counteract or counterbalance — so a really strong serve can negate your other weaknesses on the tennis court.
Vocabulary lists containing negate
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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Speech and Debate
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Warm-up, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
If he does that, the extra bounce he will get as a result should negate the loss of movement.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Unlike most of Schoenbrun’s diehard fans seem to think, a difference of opinion about art doesn’t negate either person’s feelings.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
But it’s not an impossible situation, nor does it negate spending on the yard.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
But San Diego’s flaws don’t negate the Dodgers’ as they burned through six relievers in their win.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
You negate yourself in order to make it past the finish line.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
“Rewashing that product at home and rehandling that product basically negates every step that has already been taken on that product with the washing and antimicrobial interventions,” said Chaves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
"Will advertisers in the hydration break be met with enough discontent that it negates the value of the advertising?" says T. Bettina Cornwell, head of marketing at the University of Oregon.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Borrowers should avoid asking for an increase if they plan to spend frivolously with the extended line of credit, however, because that negates any attempt to improve their credit-utilization ratio.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
This month Dell is breaking above a double bottom with handle pivot of $168.08, which also negates a bearish engulfing candle from November.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
Pushing the not next to the phrase it negates eliminates the scope ambiguity.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Rogers’ claims went to trial and a jury awarded her $6 million, which was negated by the settlement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The breakout also negated a bearish evening star, marked by a doji candle on March 26.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
“But further attacks on vessels and warnings that the Strait of Hormuz would effectively remain closed negated any positive impact,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026
The safety margin applied had been "negated by the unexpected onset of the large vertical oscillations, which caused the car to touch the ground", he said.
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025
But in the largeness of the country shown on the map, the massive forest the map showed, the river was a small thing, and he had negated it.
From "The River" by Gary Paulsen
The flip side is that big tech firms, oil exporters and other businesses with overseas customers could see a boost, potentially negating some of the negative effects of a weaker dollar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
Boy Kavalier thinks he owns him, negating all necessity for his subject’s approval.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2025
Austin’s Jon Gallagher thought he had tied the game when he put a header past Galaxy keeper John McCarthy deep into second-half stoppage time, but Gallagher was well offside, negating the goal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2024
Rather than directly address vehicle size, they tout emergent technologies, like pedestrian automatic emergency braking, that can theoretically avoid crashes entirely, negating the risk that hulking vehicles present in a collision.
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2024
I apologize for the double negative, but it’s a real double negative of a situation, a bind from which negating the negation is truly the only escape.
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
