Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- In mech., depending only on that which cannot fail without breaking; not depending on springs or gravity. See
positive motion . - In a positive manner.
- Absolutely; by itself; independently of anything else; not comparatively.
- Not negatively; really; in its own nature; directly; inherently: thus, a thing is positively good when it produces happiness by its own qualities or operation: it is negatively good when it prevents an evil or does not produce it.
- Certainly; indubitably; decidedly.
- Directly; explicitly: as, the witness testified positively to the fact.
- Peremptorily; in positive terms; expressly.
- With full confidence or assurance: as, I cannot speak positively in regard to the fact.
- By positive electricity: as, positively electrified. See
electricity .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adverb In a positive manner; absolutely; really; expressly; with certainty; indubitably; peremptorily; dogmatically; -- opposed to
negatively . - adverb (Elec.) having a charge of positive electricity; -- opposed to
negatively charged .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adverb manner In a
positive manner. - adverb modal With
certainty . - adverb degree
Very .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adverb so as to be positive; in a positive manner
- adverb extremely
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Hence, the legitimate province of the indicative mood, is to _declare_ things, whether positively or negatively; thus, _positively_, He _came_ with me; _negatively_, He _came not_ with me.
English Grammar in Familiar Lectures Samuel Kirkham
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God is what I call positively mysterious: intelligible, but inexhaustible and hence not fully comprehensible.
Archive 2007-03-01 Mike L 2007
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God is what I call positively mysterious: intelligible, but inexhaustible and hence not fully comprehensible.
Development of doctrine, essence/energies,and ecumenism Mike L 2007
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God is what I call positively mysterious: intelligible, but inexhaustible and hence not fully comprehensible.
Archive 2006-11-01 Mike L 2006
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God is what I call positively mysterious: intelligible, but inexhaustible and hence not fully comprehensible.
Essence/energies, at last Mike L 2006
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Mgr Marx takes issue with financial journalists who use this term positively, "in praise of greed".
CounterPunch 2009
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Al Khashti praised Zain's successful experience with KKMA and lauded what he described as a positively active role played by the company in providing help to people in need especially outside Kuwait,
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Paul was referred to positively in 55 percent of the 1.1 million assessments about him on Twitter studied during this period.
Ron Paul Wins GOP Twitter Primary, Pew Study Shows The Huffington Post News Editors 2011
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Paul was referred to positively in 55 percent of the 1.1 million assessments about him on Twitter studied during this period.
Ron Paul Wins GOP Twitter Primary, Pew Study Shows The Huffington Post News Editors 2011
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As the oncology nurse Cynthia Rittenberg has written, the pressure to think positively is “an additional burden to an already devastated patient.”
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