privative

Definitions

1. 1.Consisting in the absence of something; not positive; negative. Privative blessings, blessings of immunity, safeguard, liberty, and integrity. Jer. Taylor.
2. 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.
3. 3.That of which the essence is the absence of something. Blackness and darkness are indeed but privatives. Bacon.
4. 4.(Logic) A term indicating the absence of any quality which might be naturally or rationally expected; -- called also privative term.
5. 5.(Gram.) A privative prefix or suffix. See Privative, a., 3.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Related questions

• What does "privative" mean?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is privative.

• What is consisting in the absence of something; not positive; negative. Privative blessings, blessings of immunity, safeguard, liberty, and integrity. Jer. Taylor called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is that of which the essence is the absence of something. Blackness and darkness are indeed but privatives. Bacon called?
• What is a term indicating the absence of any quality which might be naturally or rationally expected; -- called also privative term called?
• What is a privative prefix or suffix. See Privative, a., 3 called?