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positive

[ poz-i-tiv ]
/ ˈpɒz ɪ tɪv /
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See synonyms for: positive / positives / positiveness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
noun
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Origin of positive

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin positīvus; replacing Middle English positif, from Middle French, from Latin, as above. See posit, -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM positive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use positive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for positive

positive
/ (ˈpɒzɪtɪv) /

adjective
noun
Compare negative

Derived forms of positive

positiveness or positivity, noun

Word Origin for positive

C13: from Late Latin positīvus positive, agreed on an arbitrary basis, from pōnere to place
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

Scientific definitions for positive

positive
[ pŏzĭ-tĭv ]

Greater than zero.
Having an electric charge or voltage greater than zero.
Indicating the presence of a disease, condition, or organism, as a diagnostic test.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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