negate

[ni-geyt, neg-eyt]

See more synonyms for negate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ne·gat·ed, ne·gat·ing.

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), ne·gat·ed, ne·gat·ing.

to be negative; bring or cause negative results: a pessimism that always negates.

Origin of negate

1615–25; < Latin negātus (past participle of negāre to deny, refuse), equivalent to neg- (variant of nec not; see neglect) + -ā- theme vowel + -tus past participle suffix

Related formsne·ga·tor, ne·gat·er, nounre·ne·gate, verb (used with object), re·ne·gat·ed, re·ne·gat·ing.self-ne·gat·ing, adjectiveun·ne·gat·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for negate

invalidate, reverse, neutralize, void, undo, disallow, nullify, belie, vitiate, disprove, rebut, annihilate, ding, traverse, revoke, dump, blackball, negative, controvert, redress

Examples from the Web for negate

Contemporary Examples of negate

Gelman quietly answered “no,” and that seemed to negate his hearsay point.
A Sandusky Retrial? Lawyers Ask for Another Try
Diane Dimond
January 10, 2013
Just because two goods or two rights are in tension, it does not mean that one should negate the other.
Gil Troy Responds to Yousef Munayyer
Gil Troy
August 21, 2012
Almost as if to negate the inevitable White House walk-back that his statement was “taken out of context,” Biden dug in his heels.
James Kirchick on How Biden Gets it Wrong (Again) in Newsweek
James Kirchick
December 21, 2011
That's not to negate the fact that we hope that the destination will be satisfying.
Lost, for the Last Time
Jace Lacob
January 27, 2010

Historical Examples of negate

Sensitiveness, Culture, seemed to negate spontaneity of action.
Colorado Jim
George Goodchild
The idea of wholeness does not negate an appreciation of the complexity of being.
Nursing as Caring
Anne Boykin
We could negate the efforts of any echelon below the Eddorians themselves, it is true.
Triplanetary
Edward Elmer Smith
The Anarchistic teachings have in common only this, that they negate the State for our future.
Anarchism
Paul Eltzbacher
A part of them negate law for our future; these teachings may be called anomistic.
Anarchism
Paul Eltzbacher

British Dictionary definitions for negate

negate

verb (tr)

to make ineffective or void; nullify; invalidate
to deny or contradict

Derived Formsnegator or negater, noun

Word Origin for negate

C17: from Latin negāre, from neg-, variant of nec not + aio I say

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

Word Origin and History for negate

1795 (with an isolated use from 1620s), back-formation from negation, or else from Latin negatus, past participle of negare. Related: Negated; negates; negating.