negate

American  

[ni-geyt, neg-eyt] / nɪˈgeɪt, ˈnɛg eɪt /

verb (used with object)

negated, negating

1. to deny the existence, evidence, or truth of.

   an investigation tending to negate any supernatural influences.

2. to nullify or cause to be ineffective.

   Progress on the study has been negated by the lack of funds.

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verb (used without object)

negated, negating

1. to be negative; bring or cause negative results.

   a pessimism that always negates.

negate British  

/ nɪˈɡeɪt /

verb

1. to make ineffective or void; nullify; invalidate

2. to deny or contradict

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Other Word Forms

• negater noun
• negator noun
• renegate verb (used with object)
• self-negating adjective
• unnegated adjective

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”; neglect

Example Sentences

Yet they have to correct for a yearslong decline in employer response rates to BLS surveys—which does not negate the data overall, but certainly makes preliminary calculations a bit more unsteady and speculative.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

Airlines covered by a United Nations carbon-offsetting program for aviation have less than two years to negate their emissions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

The note observes that Truflation consistently led CPI higher in 2021 and lower in 2022 and its efficacy is such that it may eventually negate the whole point of CPI in the first place.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026

Root also made a conscious effort to get down the pitch to negate any movement with the pink ball.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

Or, to put it more positively, when a writer wants to negate an unfamiliar proposition, she should unveil the negation in two stages: 1.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• annihilate
• belie
• cancel out
• disallow
• disprove
• invalidate
• neutralize
• nullify
• rebut
• reverse
• undo
• vitiate
• void