privative Meaning, Definition & Usage

Priv"a*tive adjective
Etymology
L. privativus: cf. F. privatif. See Private.
Definitions
  1. Causing privation; depriving.
  2. Consisting in the absence of something; not positive; negative.
    Privative blessings, blessings of immunity, safeguard, liberty, and integrity. Jer. Taylor.
  3. (Gram.) Implying privation or negation; giving a negative force to a word; as, alpha privative; privative particles; -- applied to such prefixes and suffixes as a- (Gr. ), un-, non-, -less.
Priv"a*tive noun
Definitions
  1. That of which the essence is the absence of something.
    Blackness and darkness are indeed but privatives. Bacon.
  2. (Logic) A term indicating the absence of any quality which might be naturally or rationally expected; -- called also privative term.
  3. (Gram.) A privative prefix or suffix. See Privative, a., 3.

Webster 1913