negate

verb

ne·​gate ni-ˈgāt 

negated; negating

transitive verb

1

: to deny the existence or truth of

negated and denied her own honest reactions

—Sara H. Hay

2

: to cause to be ineffective or invalid

Alcohol can negate the effects of some medicines.

negate noun

negator

ni-ˈgā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• contradict
• deny
• disaffirm
• disallow
• disavow
• disclaim
• disconfirm
• disown
• gainsay
• negative
• refute
• reject
• repudiate

Choose the Right Synonym for negate

nullify, negate, annul, abrogate, invalidate mean to deprive of effective or continued existence.

nullify implies counteracting completely the force, effectiveness, or value of something.

a penalty nullified the touchdown

negate implies the destruction or canceling out of each of two things by the other.

the arguments negate each other

annul suggests making ineffective or nonexistent often by legal or official action.

the treaty annuls all previous agreements

abrogate is like annul but more definitely implies a legal or official act.

a law to abrogate trading privileges

invalidate implies making something powerless or unacceptable by declaration of its logical or moral or legal unsoundness.

the court invalidated the statute

Examples of negate in a Sentence

The fact that she lied about her work experience negated the contract.

a verb that is negated by “not”

Recent Examples on the Web

In the semifinal round, Primus negated the striking of Clay Collard to win a decision. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

Calvert Hall appeared to tie the game on the next play from scrimmage, but John Asuquo’s 65-yard run was negated by a holding penalty. —Rich Scherr, Baltimore Sun, 28 Nov. 2024

The first was a 35-yard penalty midway through the second quarter that negated a Jonathan Owens interception. —Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 25 Nov. 2024

Macdonald called a timeout that negated what was initially an incomplete pass on fourth-and-1, broken up by Witherspoon. —Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin negātus, past participle of negāre "to say (with the negative of a conjoined clause), deny, withhold, say no," delocutive derivative of nec "no, not" — more at neglect entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

negate

verb

ne·​gate ni-ˈgāt 

negated; negating

1

: to deny the existence or truth of

2

: to cause to be ineffective or invalid

the discovery negates all previous theories