universal negative

American  

noun

Logic.

1. a proposition of the form “No S is P.” E, e

---

Example Sentences

And in the demonstration of this, he gives one maxim in a question, which is equivalent to an universal negative, Job xxxiv.

From A Hind Let Loose Or, An Historical Representation of the Testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the Interest of Christ. With the True State Thereof in All Its Periods by Shields, Alexander

I can no more prove a universal negative about them than I can about the existence of life on the moon. 

From Phaethon by Kingsley, Charles

And, similarly, writing x for 'angels' and y for 'ugly,' we may express E., the universal negative, thus: E. xy = 0.

From Logic Deductive and Inductive by Read, Carveth

The letters I, E and O are used respectively for the particular affirmative ``some x is y,'' the universal negative ``no x is y,'' and the particular negative ``some x is not y.''

From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg

Obviously a Sorites may contain one particular premiss, provided it is the first; and one universal negative premiss, provided it is the last.

From Logic, Inductive and Deductive by Minto, William