photonegative

American  

[foh-tuh-neg-uh-tiv] / ˌfoʊ təˈnɛg ə tɪv /

adjective

Physics.

1. pertaining to a substance, as selenium, having a conductivity that decreases upon absorption of electromagnetic radiation.

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photonegative British  

/ ˌfəʊtəʊˈnɛɡətɪv /

adjective

1. physics (of a material) having an electrical conductivity that decreases with increasing illumination

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Etymology

Origin of photonegative

First recorded in 1910–15; photo- + negative

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

photonegative

Right now, too many places are operating in photonegative space from common sense, imposing on those who did the right thing while coddling those who refuse to do the bare minimum.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2021

She is what Ms. Lang calls “a photonegative of a country singer,” which humorously inverts the cliché of the female country star as wholesome all-American gal.

From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2016

“Pond” can be seen as a photonegative of “Walden,” in which Henry David Thoreau similarly spends most of his time alone near a small body of water.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 11, 2016

It’s also possible that he deliberately constructed an emotional photonegative of the earlier song, whose narrator is keeping someone out, proactively setting up boundaries.

From New York Times ● May 27, 2016

The black world was expanding before me, and I could see now that that world was more than a photonegative of that of the people who believe they are white.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates