What does negate mean?
Negate means to deny, contradict, or make ineffective. It is used when a statement is shown to be false or when an action, condition, or result is undone or opposed by something else. The verb has a formal tone and appears especially in arguments, legal and academic writing, and mathematics. In ordinary speech, speakers may be more likely to use contradict, cancel, or cancel out, but negate is useful when the focus is on reversing the truth or force of something. For example, evidence may negate a claim, and a countermeasure may negate the effect of another measure. In mathematical notation, a minus sign negates a quantity, while in formal logic, negating a proposition reverses its truth value. The word ultimately comes from Latin negare, “to deny, say no,” and is related to negative, denial, and other words expressing refusal or opposition.
verbTo deny or contradict the truth or validity of something, or to make its effect disappear. In mathematics, to change a quantity or value to its opposite.
- To deny the truth or validity of a statement, claim, or proposition.
- To make something null, ineffective, or opposite in effect.
"The new evidence did not negate the original conclusion."
"The criticism was strong, but it did not negate the value of the proposal."
"In mathematics, adding a number and its additive inverse negates the result."
Negate turns a claim on its head: it does not merely oppose it, but renders it ineffective or untrue.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does negate come from?
The word negate comes from Latin negare, meaning “to deny” or “to say no,” a formation related to negō, “I deny.” It entered English during the 16th century in the sense of denying or contradicting. Its relatives include negative, negation, and the less common abnegation, all associated with denial, opposition, or absence.
Related word forms
How negate is actually used
The verb is formal and relatively uncommon in everyday conversation, where people more often say contradict, cancel, or cancel out. In mathematics and logic, it has a precise technical meaning: to reverse the truth value of a proposition or the sign of a quantity.
Easily confused with negate
Negate is a verb meaning to contradict or nullify; negative is primarily an adjective describing a lack of approval or a value below zero.
Negate can reverse a statement or make something ineffective, whereas deny most directly means to refuse to admit the truth of something.