[pos.i.tive] adj [ME, fr. MF positif, fr. L positivus, fr. positus, pp. of ponere] (14c) 1 a: formally laid down or imposed: prescribed "~ laws" b: expressed clearly or peremptorily "her answer was a ~ no" c: fully assured: confident
2. a: of, relating to, or constituting the degree of comparison that is expressed in English by the unmodified and uninflected form of an adjective or adverb and denotes no increase or diminution b (1): independent of changing circumstances: unconditioned (2): relating to or constituting a motion or device that is definite, unyielding, constant, or certain in its action "a ~ system of levers" c (1): incontestable "~ proof" (2): unqualified "a ~ disgrace" 3 a: not fictitious: real "a ~ influence for good in the community" b: active and effective in social or economic function rather than merely maintaining peace and order "a ~ government"
4. a: having or expressing actual existence or quality as distinguished from deprivation or deficiency "~ change in temperature": as (1): capable of being constructively applied (2): not speculative: empirical b: having rendition of light and shade similar in tone to the tones of the original subject "a ~ photographic image" c: that is or is generated in a direction arbitrarily or customarily taken as that of increase or progression "~ rotation of the earth" "we are making some ~ progress" d: directed or moving toward a source of stimulation "a ~ taxis" e: real and numerically greater than zero "+2 is a ~ integer"
5. a (1): being, relating to, or charged with electricity of which the proton is the elementary unit and which predominates in a glass body after being rubbed with silk (2): having more protons than electrons "a ~ ion" b (1): having higher electric potential and constituting the part from which the current flows to the external circuit "the ~ terminal of a discharging storage battery" (2): being an electron-collecting electrode of an electron tube
6. a: marked by or indicating acceptance, approval, or affirmation b: affirming the presence of that sought or suspected to be present "a ~ test for blood"
7. of a lens: converging light rays and forming a real inverted image syn see sure -- pos.i.tive.ly adv -- pos.i.tive.ness n
[2]positive n (1530): something positive: as a (1): the positive degree of comparison in a language (2): a positive form of an adjective or adverb b: something of which an affirmation can be made: reality c: a positive photograph or a print from a negative