négatifs

Négatifs is the plural form of négatif in French and can function as a noun or an adjective. It denotes something that is negative, or that involves negative values, impressions, or outcomes, depending on the field.

In photography and cinema, un négatif is the image recorded on film (or a negative plate) that represents the scene with inverted tonal values. It is the source from which positive prints or positives are produced after development.

In mathematics, négatif refers to numbers less than zero; a negative number, such as -7, is said to be négatif. The concept is used to express debt, temperatures below zero, losses, or directions opposite to a chosen reference. The operation of negation, which flips the sign, is related but distinct.

In everyday French, négatif can describe unfavorable attitudes, consequences, or results, as in “des retours négatifs” or “un résultat négatif” in a medical test meaning the condition tested for was not detected. In science and technology, the term also appears in contexts like negatively charged particles or ions.

The exact meaning of négatifs depends on context; the plural form covers several senses from imagery to arithmetic and evaluation.