kladným

Kladným is the instrumental singular form of the Czech adjective kladný, meaning positive, favorable, or constructive. It is not a standalone word in itself but a grammatical form that appears when the adjective modifies a noun in the instrumental case. Common usages include kladným způsobem, meaning in a positive or constructive manner, and kladným vlivem, meaning by a positive influence. The related predicative form is kladný, as in the phrase je to kladný postoj (that is a positive attitude).

The term derives from the Czech root klad-, which conveys the sense of goodness or favorableness. It is closely related to other Slavic terms with a similar meaning and has a clear antonym in záporný, meaning negative. In science and mathematics, the concept appears in phrases such as kladné číslo (positive number) and kladné znaménko (positive sign), where the sense of positivity is literal.

Grammatically, kladným is the masculine or neuter instrumental singular of kladný. The feminine instrumental singular form is kladnou. Like other Czech adjectives, it declines to agree with gender, number, and case in the noun it modifies. This form is most commonly encountered in phrases that describe the manner, cause, or degree of an action, or when an adjective governs an instrument or result.

In usage, kladný is common in everyday language to describe favorable attitudes, outcomes, or evaluations. While pozitiva (positive) can be used as a near-synonym in contemporary style, kladný often emphasizes the favorable quality itself rather than merely non-negativity.