As an adjective, it means expressing 'no', being harmful or bad, or having a value less than zero. As a noun, it can mean a photographic image where light and dark are reversed, or a result showing the absence of something (like in a medical test).
From Latin 'negativus' meaning 'that which denies', from 'negare' meaning 'to deny'. It entered English through Late Latin and French grammatical terms.
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