noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:pŏz'ĭtĭvʹĭti
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌpɒz.ɪˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:pŏ'zĭtĭvʹĭti
General-American:/ˌpɑ.zɪˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/
General-American:[ˌpɑ.zɪˈtɪv.ɪ.ɾi]
Australian:/ˌpɔz.ɪˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/
Australian:[ˌpɔz.ɪˈtɪv.ɪ.ɾi]
1
noun
Meaning 1
The condition of being positive (in all senses); positivism; optimism.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The result of being positive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The characteristic of possessing a positive electric charge.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
a quality or state characterized by certainty or acceptance or affirmation and dogmatic assertiveness
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: positiveness, positivism
Antonyms: negativity
Broader terms: quality
Narrower terms: assertiveness, self-assertiveness
8
noun
Meaning 8
the character of the positive electric pole
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: positiveness
Antonyms: negativity
Broader terms: polarity, sign
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English positive Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English positivity From positive + -ity.
Across languages
Translations
20 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
positivitat
— condition of being positive
Finnish:
positiivisuus
— condition of being positive
Finnish:
myönteisyys
— condition of being positive
Finnish:
optimismi
— condition of being positive
Finnish:
varmuus
— condition of being positive
French:
positivité
— condition of being positive
German:
Positivismus (phil.)
— condition of being positive
German:
Zuversichtlichkeit
— condition of being positive
Italian:
positività
— condition of being positive
Malay:
kepositifan
— condition of being positive
Māori:
ngākaupaitanga
— condition of being positive
Portuguese:
positividade
— condition of being positive
Romanian:
pozitivitate
— condition of being positive
Russian:
позити́вность
(pozitívnostʹ)
— condition of being positive
Slovak:
pozitívnosť
— condition of being positive
Spanish:
positividad
— condition of being positive
Finnish:
positiivisuus
— the characteristic of possessing a positive electric charge
German:
Elektropositivität
— the characteristic of possessing a positive electric charge
Māori:
tōrungatanga
— the characteristic of possessing a positive electric charge
Russian:
положи́тельность
(položítelʹnostʹ)
— the characteristic of possessing a positive electric charge