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

After winning the Big Eight title and facing Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, the Buffaloes held off Notre Dame 10-9 when a controversial holding call negated a last-minute Raghib Ismail punt return for a touchdown. —Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025

That would negate the need for the Supreme Court to decide the First Amendment question, the brief argued. —Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025

That includes four first-round picks and one second in 2025. Brooklyn re-acquired its 2025 first-round pick from the Houston Rockets in June, negating a previously agreed to swap. —C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025

True fasting does not permit a glass of orange juice, for example; your body will start burning the sugar instead of fat, negating the goal. —Elizabeth Passarella, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025

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