neg-, ne-
(Latin: no, not; to refuse, to nullify; to deny)
Someone who states that something is not true or false: Elisabeth was a negationist who denied calling her husband a cheater when he took money from their bank deposit to buy some pants and shirts for himself.
negative (adjective); more negative, most negative
Descriptive of being harmful or bad and not wanted: The exhaust of cars has negative effects or impacts on the environment of many people in several countries.
negatively (adverb); more negatively, most negatively
Referring to how a strong dislike or disapproval is conveyed: The political candidate for the senate was negatively talking about her opponent's bad qualities instead of emphasizing the positive things which she wanted to do if elected.
Something that is considered harmful or bad: The negativeness of Jerry's residence is that it is on a very busy street full of traffic.
The frame of mind to do or to say the opposite of what is suggested: Negativisms were all that Norman could utter regarding whether to add more rooms to his house because of the high costs it would take to achieve such extensions.
A person who declares that something is not true even when it is: George was a negativist who would not agree that the weather was going to be stormy despite the predictions presented by all of the TV reporters.
An attitude that anticipates bad or disagreeable things to happen: Sally's negativity was clearly noticed with her pessimistic remark about the upcoming outing when she said, "I'm sure there will be lots of ants and bees bothering us during the picnic!"
1. A person who has a contrary or non-positive view about everything: Tom was in a very bad mood and his friends called him a negator because he was always against the activities the others wanted to do that day.
2. A word, as a structural element in a sentence, that indicates a denial: In order to make her statement more effective, Jane's mother used the negator and said, "NO!"
2. A word, as a structural element in a sentence, that indicates a denial: In order to make her statement more effective, Jane's mother used the negator and said, "NO!"
negatory (adjective); more negatory, most negatory
A description of something which strongly expresses denial; negative: The negatory and pessimistic answer that Susan gave surprised everyone in the room, since she was always supportive and cooperative in all aspects of the project.
An electron: Jack learned that a negatron is the old-fashioned term for electron, which is a subatomic particle with a negative charge.
neglect (verb), neglects; neglected; neglecting
1. To fail to give the proper or required care and attention to someone or something: Jackie was a very young mother and neglected her baby, so it was given to the care of a foster family.
2. To fail to do something, especially because of carelessness or forgetfulness: She wasn't used to tidying up the kitchen and completely neglected washing the dishes for a week!
3. Etymology: from Latin neglectus, past participle of neglegere, "to make light of, to disregard"; literally, "not to pick up"; variant of neclegere, from Old Latin nec, "not" + legere, "to pick up, to select".
2. To fail to do something, especially because of carelessness or forgetfulness: She wasn't used to tidying up the kitchen and completely neglected washing the dishes for a week!
3. Etymology: from Latin neglectus, past participle of neglegere, "to make light of, to disregard"; literally, "not to pick up"; variant of neclegere, from Old Latin nec, "not" + legere, "to pick up, to select".
negligent (adjective); more negligent, most negligent
1. Descriptive of insufficient care or attention by someone: Harry's mother was a negligent housekeeper because she was totally slack and thoughtless in keeping the house clean.
2. Characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern: Judy was more interested in playing games on her computer and was very negligent about getting her homework done on time.
2. Characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern: Judy was more interested in playing games on her computer and was very negligent about getting her homework done on time.
negotiate (verb), negotiates; negotiated; negotiating
1. To attempt to come to an agreement on something through discussion and compromise: Greg wanted to negotiate with his mother by doing more chores for a raise in his allowance!
2. To manage to get past or to deal with something that constitutes a hazard or obstacle: Karen said that they could negotiate the river with a small boat after the wind had calmed down.
3. To transfer ownership of a financial instrument: To negotiate such a check or security to someone else in exchange for a payment can be accomplished at a bank.
4. Etymology: ultimately from Latin negotium, literally, "lack of leisure"' formed from neg, "not" + otium, "leisure".
2. To manage to get past or to deal with something that constitutes a hazard or obstacle: Karen said that they could negotiate the river with a small boat after the wind had calmed down.
3. To transfer ownership of a financial instrument: To negotiate such a check or security to someone else in exchange for a payment can be accomplished at a bank.
4. Etymology: ultimately from Latin negotium, literally, "lack of leisure"' formed from neg, "not" + otium, "leisure".
The meaning is based on the saying: neg otium est, "There is no leisure."
neuter (adjective) (no comparison)
A description of nouns and adjectives in a language, such as Latin, belonging to a separate gender which is neither masculine nor feminine: In German there are a number of terms which are considered to be neuter, like "das Ei" (the egg) or "das Haus" (the house).
1. A gender that refers primarily, but not exclusively, to inanimate objects that are neither masculine nor feminine: Since Jane's cat was castrated, it is now considered to be a neuter.
The term neuter can also be applied to a rock, sand, a book, or a television!
2. Etymology: a grammatical gender, "neither masculine nor feminine"; from Latin neuter, literally, "neither one nor the other"; from ne-, "not, no" + uter, "either (of two)"; probably a loan-translation of Greek oudeteros, "neither, neuter". In the 16th century, it had the sense of "taking neither side, being neutral."