positive

Everyday

1. Positive means sure: «I'm positive» means «I'm completely sure». tree →
2. Positive means hopeful and cheerful, thinking good things will happen. tree →
3. Positive means good or useful: a positive change. tree →
4. In maths, a positive number is greater than zero. tree →
5. A positive test result shows that something is there, such as an illness. tree →
6. In science, positive is one of the two kinds of electric charge, marked +. tree →

In the lessons

Maths: positive numbers are above 0 on a number line; negative numbers are below 0; zero is neither. Science: batteries have a positive (+) and a negative (−) end; magnets and charges attract or repel. Everyday life and well-being: positive thinking, a positive attitude, positive feedback. Health: a positive test for a virus means the virus was found. Phrases: think positive, stay positive, positive number, positive and negative, a positive attitude.

Examples

• Are you positive you locked the door? tree →
• 5 is a positive number and −5 is a negative number. tree →
• Try to stay positive even when things go wrong. tree →
• The new playground had a positive effect on the town. tree →
• Her test came back positive, so she stayed home. tree →
• Connect the wire to the positive end of the battery. tree →
• The teacher gave us positive comments on our stories. tree →
• Any number greater than zero is positive. tree →
• In addition to Fortuna, the Romans worshipped Felicitas as the giver of positive good fortune. tree →

Note

In maths: positive = greater than 0. Zero is not positive and not negative. Adding a positive number makes a total bigger; subtracting it makes it smaller. Trap: a «positive» medical test is usually not good news — it means the illness was found. Opposite: negative.

In Jewish tradition

Here it means certain and definite, as in sure historical records. In the primary lessons: Maths: positive numbers are above 0 on a number line; negative numbers are below 0; zero is neither. Science: batteries have a positive (+) and a negative (−) end; magnets and charges attract or repel. Everyday life and well-being: positive thinking, a positive attitude, positive feedback. Health: a positive test for a virus means the virus was found. Phrases: think positive, stay positive, positive number, positive and negative, a positive attitude.

Examples

• Other positive historical notices are those of Saadjah Gaon, who died a.d. 940, and Judah Halevi, a.d. 1150 ; (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• Other positive historical notices are those of Saadjah Gaon, who died A.D. 940, and Judah Halevi, A.D. 1150%; [p. 10] both these Hebrew classics speak of it as a very ancient work. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →

Note

In maths: positive = greater than 0. Zero is not positive and not negative. Adding a positive number makes a total bigger; subtracting it makes it smaller. Trap: a «positive» medical test is usually not good news — it means the illness was found. Opposite: negative.