negate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "negate" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to the act of nullifying or making something ineffective or invalid. Example: "The new evidence served to negate the previous claims made by the defendant."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Al-Sijistani goes the negative theology of the Arabic Plotinus one better, insisting that when speaking of God we must negate even negation (see further Walker 2005).

SEP

"Wherever we can construct concepts that, through their determinations (i.e., their limitations), do not merely negate, but they simultaneously determine positively the negated component that is missing from the whole, we can think in terms of alternatives.

SEP

To negate as much shell-shock as possible, you'll have been kicking-off and growing your business on the side while still toiling at your 9 5.

The Guardian

Disgust doesn't negate moral agreement: I am "disgusted" by hunting, but I'm uncertain that it's actually always wrong.

The Guardian - Opinion

Without giving away any secrets about what we intend to do, you have to be physical to negate their game.

The Guardian - Sport

Abbott has used his first year in power to negate this image as a climate change denier, not so much by aggressively supporting the overwhelming science, but by attempting to sweep the issue off the agenda entirely.

The Guardian - Opinion

That is not, however, to negate the effect on the Tories of losing a long-time party-supporting national newspaper title prior to an election.

The Guardian

But when a person in a position of trust decides to betray that privilege, no amount of forethought or red tape can negate the threat they pose.

The Economist

To give the chancellor his due, pulling out a surprise liberal reform of this kind seemed also a sensible way to negate the unrealistic demands for a splurge.The method in his trickeryAnd there is an important truth in that.

The Economist

Mr Hain's late declaration of £103,000 ($200,500) that he raised to fund his failed bid for Labour's deputy leadership, said Mr Brown, was merely "an incompetence" that did not negate Mr Hain's ministerial virtues.

The Economist

One was the discovery of obscure clauses in a 1947 treaty that seem to negate the very premise of Generali's self-defence since the war that the company stopped being liable to its East European policyholders (murdered Jews among them) when the Communists nationalised its branches.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "negate", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being nullified or contradicted to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "negate" in contexts where a simpler word like "deny" or "disagree" would suffice. "Negate" is most effective when describing the cancellation of an effect or validity, not just expressing an opinion.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "negate" is as a transitive verb, indicating an action performed on an object to nullify or invalidate it. Ludwig's examples demonstrate its use in diverse contexts, from scientific research to news reporting, consistently showing its capacity to express the cancellation or contradiction of something.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

49%

Science

27%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the verb "negate" is a versatile term used to describe the act of nullifying, contradicting, or invalidating something. According to Ludwig, its grammatical status is correct, and it appears frequently in both formal and informal writing. It's most commonly found in News & Media, Science and Formal & Business contexts. When using "negate", ensure the context makes it clear what you are invalidating to avoid ambiguity. Consider alternatives like "invalidate", "nullify", or "contradict" depending on the desired nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

invalidate

Suggests making something null or void, often in a formal or legal context.

nullify

Implies canceling something out, making it ineffective.

contradict

Suggests directly opposing or asserting the opposite.

refute

Implies proving something to be false or incorrect.

disprove

Similar to refute, but often implies a more definitive demonstration of falsehood.

cancel out

Suggests that two opposing forces or effects eliminate each other.

offset

Implies counteracting something with an opposing force or effect.

undo

Suggests reversing an action or its effects.

neutralize

Implies rendering something harmless or ineffective.

invalidate the premise

More specifically targets the underlying assumption or foundation of an argument or idea.

FAQs

How can I use "negate" in a sentence?

You can use "negate" to describe actions that cancel out or invalidate something. For example, "The new evidence served to negate the previous claims."

What are some alternatives to "negate"?

You can use alternatives like "invalidate", "nullify", or "contradict" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "negate the effect" or "cancel the effect"?

"Negate the effect" is more formal and emphasizes a complete nullification, while "cancel the effect" is more common and suggests a less formal reversal or neutralization.

What's the difference between "negate" and "deny"?

"Negate" means to nullify or make ineffective, while "deny" means to state that something is not true. You might "deny a claim", but "negate an effect".