negation
Americannoun
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the act of denying.
He shook his head in negation of the charge.
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a denial.
a negation of one's former beliefs.
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something that is without existence; nonentity.
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the absence or opposite of something that is actual, positive, or affirmative.
Darkness is the negation of light.
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a negative statement, idea, concept, doctrine, etc.; a contradiction, refutation, or rebuttal.
a shameless lie that demands a negation.
noun
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the opposite or absence of something
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a negative thing or condition
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the act or an instance of negating
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logic
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the operator that forms one sentence from another and corresponds to the English not
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a sentence so formed. It is usually written –p, ~p, ̄p or ⇁ p , where p is the given sentence, and is false when the given sentence is true, and true when it is false
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Other Word Forms
- negational adjective
- negationist noun
- nonnegation noun
- renegation noun
Etymology
Origin of negation
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin negātiōn-, stem of negātiō “denial”; equivalent to negate + -ion
Explanation
A negation is a refusal or denial of something. If your friend thinks you owe him five dollars and you say that you don’t, your statement is a negation. A negation is a statement that cancels out or denies another statement or action. "I didn't kill the butler" could be a negation, along with "I don't know where the treasure is." The act of saying one of these statements is also a negation. Some negations can be good news, like “No, you don’t have a cavity” or “No, that report isn’t due today.”
Vocabulary lists containing negation
Academic Vocabulary and Literary Terms, Unit 1
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Academic and Literary Vocabulary, Unit 1
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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.
Singh formally apologised to the nation in 2005 in parliament, saying the violence were "the negation of the concept of nationhood enshrined in our constitution".
From BBC • Dec. 27, 2024
In an array of communications, ranging from advertising to legal filings, negation is often used intentionally to mask a clear understanding of a phrase.
From Science Daily • May 30, 2024
The negation of LeBron James is not related to sports, rather it is a cultural stain.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2024
“You’re not going to have enough current to light up a child’s lightbulb project at a science fair,” he informed Marlon, who did not take such negation well.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2024
As Mr. Language Person implies, sometimes a writer really does need to express a negation.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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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.