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”; 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.

Example Sentences

Friedman wrote Thursday that the tightened restrictions, "are not security measures or efforts to make good on prior commitments but rather transparent attempts to negate the impact of this Court's Order."

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

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

“Investors need to pay attention to some of the elements that could rise up and negate the positivity in the market.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 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

“Tell him he’s wrong. War doesn’t negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.”

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Related Words

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