WordGarden.ionegate
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /nɪɡˈeɪt/
US
- /nɪˈɡeɪt/
Meanings
Verb
to cancel out, offset, or make something ineffective
to show or state that a claim, possibility, or idea is not true
to make a word, clause, or proposition negative
Beyond the definition
Imagine building with LEGO bricks. You carefully stack them into something amazing, and then someone comes along and undoes your work by knocking it all down. To negate means to cancel something out, deny that something is true, or make it have no real effect. In math, one number can cancel out another. In daily life, one action can undo the good effect of another. For example, a kind comment can be weakened by a rude joke right after it. Think of the word as describing something that wipes out, reverses, or removes the force of something else.
To negate means to make something ineffective or invalid, or to cancel out its force or meaning. It's more than just disagreeing; it is actively working against something to render it useless.
You might encounter "negate" in several different contexts. In logic and mathematics, it refers to changing a statement into its opposite form. If you negate the statement "The sky is blue," you get "The sky is not blue." That does not automatically mean someone has proved the first statement false; it simply expresses the opposite claim.
In everyday language, we use "negate" when one thing cancels out the effect of another. For example: "The good news was negated by the bad weather," meaning the positive impact of the news was cancelled out by the storm. Similarly, you might say, "His apology didn't negate his hurtful actions," meaning the apology didn't undo the damage he had already done.
It can also mean to deny something outright or show that it is not valid. For example, new evidence might negate an earlier claim, or a speaker might negate an argument by showing that it rests on a false idea.
The word comes from the Latin negare, meaning "to deny." So, whether you're dealing with logic puzzles, balancing equations, or everyday situations where one thing wipes out the effect of another, remember that to negate is to undo, cancel, or deny something's force or truth.
Examples
- 1
Evidence
The new evidence could negate his earlier claim.
- 2
Personal progress
One bad day does not negate all the progress you have made.
- 3
Responsibility
Her apology did not negate the harm caused by the decision.
- 4
Public transport
A good public transport system can negate the need for a car.
- Patternnegate the need for + thing
make that thing unnecessary
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Logic
In logic, the word "not" negates the statement that follows it.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- negate the effect
- negate the need
- negate an argument
Word family
Explore
- cancellation
- logical negation
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- negateverb
Forms
- negatedpast tenseverb
- negatesverb
- negating-ing formverb