negativo

Negativo is a term used in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and other Romance languages to express negative or opposite, analogous to the English word “negative.” The word derives from Latin negativus, which in turn comes from negare, meaning to deny or refuse.

In mathematics and science, negative describes values less than zero, such as negative numbers, or signs that indicate opposite direction in vectors. It is also used to describe phenomena with negative polarity, such as negative electric charge, negative pressure, or negative results in testing.

In photography and film, a negative is a piece of material that records an image with inverted tonal values: light areas appear dark and dark areas appear light. Negatives are usually used to generate positive prints or transparencies through chemical or digital processes.

In medicine and diagnostics, a negative result indicates the absence of the tested condition or trait. For example, a negative test result suggests that the subject does not have the disease or characteristic being screened for, according to the test’s parameters and accuracy.

In everyday language and linguistics, negativo refers to negation or a pessimistic attitude. It is used to describe statements that deny or negate a proposition, or to characterize outlooks, atmospheres, or interpretations as unfavorable. See also negation and negativity.