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négativité

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Etymology and origin of the French word négativité

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1834 Jourdan More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
French négatif,-ité

Pronunciation

  • /ne.ɡa.ti.vi.te/[1]

Forms

négativité f (plural négativités)[1] The earlier spelling negativeté is recorded in 1842.[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French négatif + -ité.[2][1][4] The GLLF calls it a learned derivative.[4] The English word negativity (1842) was formed in English, negative with -ity.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rey dates it to 1834 (Jourdan), as a term of electricity.[3] The TLFi's first record is negativeté in the Académie's Complément of 1842, “the state of a body charged with negative electricity”; the Grand Robert, the GLLF and the Petit Robert give 1838.[2][6][4][7]

Semantic evolution

Littré still knew it only as a term of physics.[8] From 1943, in Sartre's L'Être et le Néant, it became a philosophical term, a notion from Hegel's dialectic for the power to deny and refuse the real world in favour of an ideal one.[2][4][3] It is also used in linguistics,[3] and in general for the character of what is negative.[2][7]

Timeline

  • 1834 – First recorded as a term of electricity (Jourdan).[3]
  • 1838 – Recorded by the Académie in its electrical sense.[4][6]
  • 1842 – The spelling negativeté appears in the Académie's Complément.[2]
  • 1943 – Sartre uses it as a philosophical term in L'Être et le Néant.[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (physics, dated) The state of a body charged with negative electricity.[8][7][4]
  2. (philosophy) The power of negation, of refusing what exists in order to affirm a better world, especially in Hegel and Sartre.[2][4]
  3. The character of what is négatif or expressed in negative terms.[2][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Négativité.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/n%C3%A9gativit%C3%A9. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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