# positive

/ˈpɑzətɪv/ (US) · /pˈɒzɪtˌɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/positive
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. optimistic or good

adjective · CEFR A2

thinking about the good parts of a situation; hopeful and confident.

For teachers: characterised by or displaying an optimistic attitude or constructive quality.

- Try to stay positive even when things are difficult at work.
- The manager provided positive feedback during the annual review, highlighting several areas where the team had exceeded their quarterly targets.

### 2. certain

adjective · CEFR B1

completely sure that something is correct or true.

For teachers: fully assured in opinion or assertion; certain of a fact.

- Are you positive that you locked the front door before we left?
- The witness remained positive about the identity of the suspect, despite intense questioning from the defence attorney.

### 3. math/science

adjective · CEFR B1 · Technical

describing a number greater than zero, or a type of electric charge.

For teachers: denoting a quantity greater than zero, or relating to the kind of electricity that is carried by protons.

- The temperature stayed positive all day, so the ice on the road melted.
- In this chemical reaction, the positive ions migrate toward the cathode while the negative ions move in the opposite direction.

### 4. medical results

adjective · CEFR B1

showing that a disease or condition is present after a medical test.

For teachers: indicating the presence of a particular condition, substance, or organism in a clinical test.

- He had a positive test result for the flu and had to stay home.
- The laboratory confirmed a positive result for the antibodies, suggesting that the patient had been exposed to the virus previously.

### 5. grammar

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

the basic form of an adjective, like 'big' instead of 'bigger'.

For teachers: relating to the primary degree of an adjective or adverb, as opposed to the comparative or superlative.

- In the sentence 'He is tall', the word 'tall' is in the positive degree.
- The student struggled to identify the positive form of the irregular adverb, mistakenly providing the comparative instead.

### 6. a good feature

noun · CEFR B1

a good quality or a reason to be happy about a situation.

For teachers: a quality or attribute that is advantageous or beneficial.

- One of the positives of the new job is that it is very close to my house.
- Despite the project's failure, the team focused on the positives, such as the new technical skills they had acquired during the process.

### 7. photography

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a photograph that shows the real colors, not the opposite ones like a negative.

For teachers: a film or print that shows the images in their natural colours and shades.

- The photographer developed the film and produced a clear positive.
- Before digital sensors became standard, slide film was used to create a transparent positive that could be projected onto a large screen.

## Examples

- We should focus on the positives of the new plan.
- Despite the long hours, the high salary and the travel opportunities are major positives of the job.
- The committee spent the afternoon weighing the potential positives of the merger against the significant risks to the company's long-term stability.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.