Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Positive

Pos′i-tive

,
Adj.
[OE.
positif
, F.
positif
, L.
positivus
. See
Position
.]
1.
Having a real position, existence, or energy; existing in fact; real; actual; – opposed to negative.
“Positive good.”
Bacon.
2.
Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations; absolute; – opposed to relative;
as, the idea of beauty is not
positive
, but depends on the different tastes individuals
.
3.
Definitely laid down; explicitly stated; clearly expressed; – opposed to implied;
as, a
positive
declaration or promise
.
Positive
words, that he would not bear arms against King Edward’s son.
Bacon.
4.
Hence: Not admitting of any doubt, condition, qualification, or discretion; not dependent on circumstances or probabilities; not speculative; compelling assent or obedience; peremptory; indisputable; decisive;
as,
positive
instructions;
positive
truth;
positive
proof.
“'T is positive 'gainst all exceptions.”
Shak.
5.
Prescribed by express enactment or institution; settled by arbitrary appointment; said of laws.
In laws, that which is natural bindeth universally; that which is
positive
, not so.
Hooker.
6.
Fully assured; confident; certain; sometimes, overconfident; dogmatic; overbearing; – said of persons.
Some
positive
, persisting fops we know,
That, if once wrong, will needs be always.
Pope.
7.
Having the power of direct action or influence;
as, a
positive
voice in legislation
.
Swift.
8.
(Photog.)
Corresponding with the original in respect to the position of lights and shades, instead of having the lights and shades reversed;
as, a
positive
picture
.
9.
(Chem.)
(a)
Electro-positive.
(b)
Hence, basic; metallic; not acid; – opposed to
negative
, and said of metals, bases, and basic radicals.
Positive crystals
(Opt.)
,
a doubly refracting crystal in which the index of refraction for the extraordinary ray is greater than for the ordinary ray, and the former is refracted nearer to the axis than the latter, as quartz and ice; – opposed to negative crystal, or one in which this characteristic is reversed, as Iceland spar, tourmaline, etc.
–
Positive degree
(Gram.)
,
that state of an adjective or adverb which denotes simple quality, without comparison or relation to increase or diminution; as, wise, noble.
–
Positive electricity
(Elec)
,
the kind of electricity which is developed when glass is rubbed with silk, or which appears at that pole of a voltaic battery attached to the plate that is not attacked by the exciting liquid; – formerly called
vitreous electricity
; – opposed to
negative electricity
.
–
Positive eyepiece
.
See under
Eyepiece
.
–
Positive law
.
See
Municipal law
, under
Law
.
–
Positive motion
(Mach.)
,
motion which is derived from a driver through unyielding intermediate pieces, or by direct contact, and not through elastic connections, nor by means of friction, gravity, etc.; definite motion.
–
Positive philosophy
.
See
Positivism
.
–
Positive pole
.
(a)
(Elec.)
The pole of a battery or pile which yields positive or vitreous electricity; – opposed to
negative pole
.
(b)
(Magnetism)
The north pole
.
[R.]
–
Positive quantity
(Alg.)
,
an affirmative quantity, or one affected by the sign plus [+].
–
Positive rotation
(Mech.)
,
left-handed rotation.
–
Positive sign
(Math.)
,
the sign [+] denoting plus, or more, or addition.

Pos′i-tive

,
Noun.
1.
That which is capable of being affirmed; reality.
South.
2.
That which settles by absolute appointment.
3.
(Gram.)
The positive degree or form.
4.
(Photog.)
A picture in which the lights and shades correspond in position with those of the original, instead of being reversed, as in a negative.
R. Hunt.
5.
(Elec.)
The positive plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell.

Webster 1828 Edition

Positive

POS'ITIVE

,
Adj.
[Low L. positivus.]
1.
Properly, set; laid down; expressed; direct; explicit; opposed to implied; as, he told us in positive words; we have his positive declaration to the fact; the testimony is positive.
2.
Absolute; express; not admitting any condition or discretion. The commands of the admiral are positive.
3.
Absolute; real; existing in fact; opposed to negative, as positive good, which exists by itself, whereas negative good is merely the absence of evil; or opposed to relative or arbitrary, as beauty is not a positive thing, but depends on the different tastes of people.
4.
Direct; express; opposed to circumstantial; as positive proof.
5.
Confident; fully assured; applied to persons. The witness is very positive that he is correct in his testimony.
6.
Dogmatic; over-confident in opinion or assertion.
Some positive persisting fops we know,
That, if once wrong, will needs be always so.
7.
Settled by arbitrary appointment; opposed to natural or inbred.
In laws, that which is natural, bindeth universally; that which is positive, not so.
Although no laws but positive are mutable, yet all are not mutable which are positive.
8.
Having power to act directly; as a positive voice in legislation.
Positive degree, in grammar, is the state of an adjective which denotes simple or absolute quality, without comparison or relation to increase or diminution; as wise, noble.
Positive electricity, according to Dr. Franklin, consists in a superabundance of the fluid in a substance. Others suppose it to consist in a tendency of the fluid outwards. It is not certain in what consists the difference between positive and negative electricity. Positive electricity being produced by rubbing glass, is called the vitreous; negative electricity, produced by rubbing amber or resin, is called the resinous.

POS'ITIVE

,
Noun.
What is capable of being affirmed; reality.
1.
That which settles by absolute appointment.
2.
In grammar, a word that affirms or asserts existence.

Definition 2024

Positive

Positive

See also: positive and positivé

German

Noun

Positive n

  1. plural of Positiv

positive

positive

See also: Positive and positivé

English

Adjective

positive ‎(comparative more positive, superlative most positive)

  1. (law) Formally laid down. [from the 14th c.]
    • Hooker
      In laws, that which is natural bindeth universally; that which is positive, not so.
  2. Stated definitively and without qualification. [from the 16th c.]
    • Francis Bacon:
      Positive words, that he would not bear arms against King Edward’s son.
  3. Fully assured in opinion. [from the 17th c.]
    • I’m absolutely positive you've spelt that wrong.
  4. (mathematics) Of number, greater than zero. [from the 18th c.]
  5. Characterized by constructiveness or influence for the better.
  6. Overconfident, dogmatic.
    • Alexander Pope:
      Some positive, persisting fops we know, That, if once wrong, will needs be always so.
  7. (chiefly philosophy) Actual, real, concrete, not theoretical or speculative.
  8. (physics) Having more protons than electrons.
    • A cation is a positive ion as it has more protons than electrons.
  9. (grammar) Describing the primary sense of an adjective, adverb or noun; not comparative, superlative, augmentative nor diminutive.
    • ‘Better’ is an irregular comparative of the positive form ‘good’.
  10. Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations; absolute.
    • The idea of beauty is not positive, but depends on the different tastes of individuals.
  11. Characterized by the existence or presence of distinguishing qualities or features, rather than by their absence.
    • The box was not empty – I felt some positive substance within it.
  12. Characterized by the presence of features which support a hypothesis.
    • The results of our experiment are positive.
  13. (photography) Of a visual image, true to the original in light, shade and colour values.
    • A positive photograph can be developed from a photographic negative.
  14. Favorable, desirable by those interested or invested in that which is being judged.
    • The first-night reviews were largely positive.
  15. Wholly what is expressed; colloquially downright, entire, outright.
    • Good lord, you've built up a positive arsenal of weaponry here.
  16. Optimistic. [from the 20th c.]
    • He has a positive outlook on life.
  17. (chemistry) electropositive
  18. (chemistry) basic; metallic; not acid; opposed to negative, and said of metals, bases, and basic radicals.
  19. (slang) HIV positive.
  20. (New Age jargon) Good, desirable, healthful, pleasant, enjoyable; (often precedes 'energy', 'thought', 'feeling' or 'emotion').
    • 2009, Christopher Johns, Becoming a Reflective Practitioner, John Wiley & Sons, p. 15
      Negative feelings can be worked through and their energy converted into positive energy... In crisis, normal patterns of self-organization fail, resulting in anxiety (negative energy). Being open systems, people can exchange this energy with the environment and create positive energy for taking action...

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

positive ‎(plural positives)

  1. A thing capable of being affirmed; something real or actual.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of South to this entry?)
  2. A favourable point or characteristic.
  3. Something having a positive value in physics, such as an electric charge.
  4. (grammar) A degree of comparison of adjectives and adverbs.
  5. (grammar) An adjective or adverb in the positive degree.
  6. (photography) A positive image; one that displays true colors and shades, as opposed to a negative.
  7. The positive plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell.
  8. A positive result of a test.

Translations

Danish

Adjective

positive

  1. definite and plural of positiv

French

Adjective

positive

  1. feminine singular of positif

Verb

positive

  1. first-person singular present indicative of positiver
  2. third-person singular present indicative of positiver
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of positiver
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of positiver
  5. second-person singular imperative of positiver

German

Adjective

positive

  1. inflected form of positiv

Italian

Adjective

positive

  1. feminine plural of positivo

Anagrams

Latin

Adjective

positīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of positīvus

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

positive

  1. definite singular of positiv
  2. plural of positiv

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

positive

  1. definite singular of positiv
  2. plural of positiv

Swedish

Adjective

positive

  1. absolute definite natural masculine form of positiv.

Etymology

From Old French positif, from Latin positivus, from the past participle stem of ponere ‎(“to place”). Compare posit.

Pronunciation

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