negate

verb

ne·​gate ni-ˈgāt How to pronounce negate (audio)
negated; negating
Synonyms of negate

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 How to pronounce negate (audio)
noun

Synonyms of negate

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So did a very active stick, as Postava was quick to poke-check Oilers attackers from very early in the game — starting with one that negated a partial breakaway in the first two minutes. — Max Bultman, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Held to a season-low 209 yards of offense, Minnesota (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) also got a third-quarter rushing touchdown from Darius Taylor after an offsides penalty on Iowa negated a fourth-down stop one play earlier. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 The play initially was negated by a targeting penalty on Brice Pollock, but then it was overturned by video review and the Bearcats’ lead was cut to 24-15 after the 2-point attempt failed. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Bruhn makes up for penalty Carson Bruhn was called for a holding penalty that negated an early 39-yard touchdown run by Dylan Edwards. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for negate

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of negate was circa 1623

Rhymes for negate

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Browse Nearby Words

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negate
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Cite this Entry

“Negate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negate. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

negate

verb
ne·​gate ni-ˈgāt How to pronounce negate (audio)
negated; negating
1
: to deny the existence or truth of
2
: to cause to be ineffective or invalid
the discovery negates all previous theories
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