positive

positive
/poz"i tiv/, adj.
1. explicitly stated, stipulated, or expressed: a positive acceptance of the agreement.
2. admitting of no question: positive proof.
3. stated; express; emphatic: a positive denial.
4. confident in opinion or assertion; fully assured: He is positive that he will win the contest.
5. overconfident or dogmatic: The less he knows, the more positive he gets.
6. without relation to or comparison with other things; not relative or comparative; absolute.
7. Informal. downright; out-and-out: She's a positive genius.
8. determined by enactment or convention; arbitrarily laid down: positive law.
9. emphasizing what is laudable, hopeful, or to the good; constructive: a positive attitude toward the future; positive things to say about a painting.
10. not speculative or theoretical; practical: a positive approach to the problem.
11. possessing an actual force, being, existence, etc.
12. Philos.
a. constructive and sure, rather than skeptical.
b. concerned with or based on matters of experience: positive philosophy.
13. showing or expressing approval or agreement; favorable: a positive reaction to the speech.
14. consisting in or characterized by the presence or possession of distinguishing or marked qualities or features (opposed to negative): Light is positive, darkness negative.
15. noting the presence of such qualities, as a term.
16. measured or proceeding in a direction assumed as beneficial, progressive, or auspicious: a positive upturn in the stock market.
17. Elect.
a. of, pertaining to, or characterized by positive electricity.
b. indicating a point in a circuit that has a higher potential than that of another point, the current flowing from the point of higher potential to the point of lower potential.
18. of, pertaining to, or noting the north pole of a magnet.
19. Chem. (of an element or group) tending to lose electrons and become positively charged; basic.
20. Gram. being, noting, or pertaining to the initial degree of the comparison of adjectives and adverbs, as the positive form good. Cf. comparative (def. 4), superlative (def. 2).
21. Med. a. (of blood, affected tissue, etc.) showing the presence of disease. b. (of a diagnostic test) indicating disease.
22. Biochem. See Rh factor.
23. Math. noting a quantity greater than zero.
24. (of government) assuming control or regulation of activities beyond those involved merely with the maintenance of law and order.
25. Biol. oriented or moving toward the focus of excitation: a positive tropism.
26. Photog. denoting a print or transparency showing the brightness values as they are in the subject.
27. Mach. noting or pertaining to a process or machine part having a fixed or certain operation, esp. as the result of elimination of play, free motion, etc.: positive lubrication.
n.
28. something positive.
29. a positive quality or characteristic.
30. a positive quantity or symbol.
31. Gram.
a. the positive degree.
b. a form in the positive, as good or smooth.
32. Photog. a positive image, as on a print or transparency.
[1250-1300; < L positivus; r. ME positif < MF < L, as above. See POSIT, -IVE]
Syn. 1. definite, unequivocal, categorical, clear, precise, sure. 2. incontrovertible, indisputable. 4. unquestioning. 4, 5. See sure.
Ant. 1. indefinite. 2. doubtful. 4. unsure, unconfident, uncertain.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • positive — pos‧i‧tive [ˈpɒztɪv ǁ ˈpɑːz ] adjective 1. good or useful: • When interest rates fall, there is a positive effect on business confidence. • He felt that these meetings did not make any sort of positive contribution to branch performance. 2.… …   Financial and business terms

  • Positive — Pos i*tive, a. [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. [1913 Webster] 2. Derived from an object by… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Positive — is a property of positivity and may refer to: Mathematics and science * Positive number, a number that is greater than 0 * Positive operator, in functional analysis, a bounded linear operator whose spectrum consists of positive real numbers *… …   Wikipedia

  • positive — [päz′ə tiv] adj. [ME positif < OFr < L positivus < positus: see POSITION] 1. formally or arbitrarily set; conventional; artificial [a positive law] 2. definitely set; explicitly laid down; admitting of no question or modification;… …   English World dictionary

  • positive — I (confident) adjective assured, believing, certain, certus, convinced, decided, decisive, definite, determined, fully convinced, insistent, perfectly sure, persuaded, reassured, satisfied, secure, self assured, self confident, sure, trusting,… …   Law dictionary

  • Positive — Pos i*tive, n. 1. That which is capable of being affirmed; reality. South. [1913 Webster] 2. That which settles by absolute appointment. [1913 Webster] 3. (Gram.) The positive degree or form. [1913 Webster] 4. (Photog.) A picture in which the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • positive — c.1300, a legal term meaning formally laid down, from O.Fr. positif (13c.), from L. positivus settled by arbitrary agreement, positive (opposed to naturalis natural ), from positus, pp. of ponere put, place (see POSITION (Cf. position)). Sense… …   Etymology dictionary

  • positive — [adj1] definite, certain absolute, actual, affirmative, assured, categorical, clear, clearcut, cocksure*, cold*, complete, conclusive, concrete, confident, consummate, convinced, decided, decisive, direct, downright, explicit, express, factual,… …   New thesaurus

  • positive — ► ADJECTIVE 1) characterized by the presence rather than the absence of distinguishing features. 2) expressing or implying affirmation, agreement, or permission. 3) constructive, optimistic, or confident. 4) with no possibility of doubt; certain …   English terms dictionary

  • positive — 1 certain, *sure, cocksure Analogous words: *confident, assured, sanguine, sure: dogmatic, doctrinaire, oracular, *dictatorial Antonyms: doubtful 2 *affirmative Antonyms: negative …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • positive — pos|i|tive1 W2S2 [ˈpɔzıtıv US ˈpa: ] adj ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(attitude)¦ 2¦(good thing)¦ 3¦(action)¦ 4¦(support)¦ 5¦(sure)¦ 6¦(sign)¦ 7¦(proof)¦ 8¦(scientific test)¦ 9¦(emphasis)¦ 10¦(number)¦ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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