Word Direct Answers

What does "privative" mean?

Privative: Consisting in the absence of something; not positive; negative. Privative blessings, blessings of immunity, safeguard, liberty, and integrity. Jer. Taylor.

Additional senses

  1. 2.(Gram.) Implying privation or negation; giving a negative force to a word; as, alpha privative; privative particles; -- applied to such prefixes and suffixes as a- (Gr. un-, non-, -less.
  2. 3.That of which the essence is the absence of something. Blackness and darkness are indeed but privatives. Bacon.
  3. 4.(Logic) A term indicating the absence of any quality which might be naturally or rationally expected; -- called also privative term.
  4. 5.(Gram.) A privative prefix or suffix. See Privative, a., 3.

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