non-negative
adjective
non-negative is an adjective meaning “Not negative” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is spelled N-O-N-N-E-G-A-T-I-V-E.
What does non-negative mean?
adjective
- 1
Not negative.
a non-negative self-evaluation
- 2
Of an element of a partially ordered ring, either positive or zero; not negative; greater than or equal to zero.
Distances are non-negative.
- 3
Of a function, functional, etc. which has non-negative values over a particular domain D.
For all x∈D, f(x)>0
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of non-negative
- nonnegative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Words people confuse with non-negative
Also written: nonnegative (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Non-negative in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense not negative:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | positif |
| German | nichtnegativ |
| Portuguese | não negativo |
| Spanish | no negativo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does non-negative come from?
From non- + negative.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).