Negatieve

Negatieve is the attributive form of the Dutch adjective negatief, meaning "negative." It is used to describe a noun with the sense of negation, deficiency, or values below zero. In everyday use, negatief and its inflected form negatieve appear in many domains. For example: de negatieve invloed (the negative influence), een negatieve houding (a negative attitude), negatieve cijfers (negative numbers).

In Dutch grammar, negatieve is the form used before feminine singular nouns and before plural nouns, and it also appears in neuter singular phrases when used with a definite article. This form helps convey that the noun it modifies carries a negative quality or outcome. Beyond general language, negatief and its inflected forms are common in technical contexts such as mathematics, science, and social sciences, where they describe negative values, negative results, or adverse relationships.

In mathematics and science, the term negatief (or negatieve getallen) denotes numbers less than zero. In statistics and research reporting, you may encounter phrases such as negatieve correlatie (negative correlation) or negatieve uitkomsten (negative outcomes). The concept also appears in everyday discussion of attitudes, effects, or forecasts that are unfavorable or undesired.

Etymology: negatief derives from Latin negativus, via Old French négatif, into Dutch. See also: negatief, negatie, negative.