negation

Everyday

1. Saying «no» or «not»; making a sentence mean the opposite by adding a word like not, never or no. tree →
2. (maths, logic) The opposite of a statement: the negation of «it is raining» is «it is not raining». tree →
3. (formal) The complete opposite or cancelling out of something. tree →

In the lessons

In grammar lessons, negation is making negative sentences with «not», «don't», «never», «no», «nobody». In maths and logic puzzles, the negation of a statement is true when the statement is false. In formal writing: «cheating is the negation of fair play».

Examples

• «I do not like it» is a negation of «I like it». tree →
• Add «not» to make a negation. tree →
• The negation of «all cats are black» is «not all cats are black». tree →
• Double negation, like «I didn't do nothing», is a dialect form. tree →
• In maths, the negation of «x is bigger than 5» is «x is not bigger than 5». tree →
• Bullying is the negation of kindness. tree →

Note

From «negate» and «negative». Trap: the negation of «all» is «not all» (some are not), not «none». In maths, negating a number (making it negative) means changing its sign: the negation of 5 is -5. Double negatives in Standard English cancel out, but in many dialects they just add emphasis.