negatives

Negatives are terms used across disciplines to describe aspects that are opposite to positives, or that indicate an absence. In common usage, a negative signals denial or subtraction. The word appears in mathematics, photography, science, language, and everyday reasoning, where it often marks a contrast between two states or values.

In mathematics, negative numbers are values less than zero. They are shown with a minus sign and obey standard arithmetic rules: adding a negative is like subtraction, while multiplying or dividing by a negative reverses the sign. The number line places negatives to the left of zero, with larger negatives farther left.

In traditional photography and film, a negative is an image in which light and dark tones are inverted. Light areas appear dark, and vice versa. Negatives are used to produce positive prints or slides. Although digital photography predominates, film negatives remain a distinctive medium for many photographers.

In physics and chemistry, a negative charge is the property of electrons and some subatomic particles. Negative ions have extra electrons. Negative feedback, in control theory and biology, stabilizes systems by counteracting deviations from a target state.

In logic and linguistics, negation is the operation that inverts truth or existence, often expressed with words like not or never. Negatives affect grammar and semantics, including negative polarity items and constructions that require or prohibit certain phrases.

In everyday use, negatives include negative results and attitudes. Interpreted carefully, negative findings can inform decisions and lead to improvements rather than simply indicating failure.