positively
Americanadverb
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with certainty; absolutely.
The statement is positively true.
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decidedly; unquestionably; definitely.
His conduct is positively shocking.
interjection
adverb
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in a positive manner
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(intensifier)
he disliked her: in fact, he positively hated her
Etymology
Origin of positively
Explanation
Positively is a word that places emphasis on another word or statement. A positively funny joke is an extremely funny joke. Some words — like very and absolutely — exist mainly to turn the volume up on other things we say. Positively is like that. If your back hurts, you might say, "It's positively killing me!" If you want to see a movie, you might say, "I absolutely, positively must go." Someone might ask, "Are you positively sure you don't want some cake?" if they can't quite believe you don't want some. People use this word to emphasize a point.
Vocabulary lists containing positively
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.
They wanted to be a bazooka, but so far they're positively popgun.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
"We were positively surprised by how uniform the cells are," says Schütte.
From Science Daily • Jun. 21, 2026
This week, there was finally some reprieve as the currency and markets reacted positively to the central bank raising its base lending rate by 75 points in back-to-back hikes.
From Barron's • Jun. 14, 2026
I feel bad about all this, but I have made a commitment to brag, so I have to see how these snafus reflect positively on me.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
He had never been too sociable before he left, but he was positively silent when he returned.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
