positive
    adj 1: characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance
           or certainty etc.; "a positive attitude"; "the reviews
           were all positive"; "a positive benefit"; "a positive
           demand" [ant: negative, neutral]
    2: persuaded of; very sure; "were convinced that it would be to
       their advantage to join"; "I am positive he is lying"; "was
       confident he would win" [syn: convinced(p), positive(p),
       confident(p)]
    3: involving advantage or good; "a plus (or positive) factor"
       [syn: plus, positive]
    4: indicating existence or presence of a suspected condition or
       pathogen; "a positive pregnancy test" [syn: positive,
       confirming] [ant: disconfirming, negative]
    5: formally laid down or imposed; "positive laws" [syn:
       positive, prescribed]
    6: impossible to deny or disprove; "incontrovertible proof of
       the defendant's innocence"; "proof positive"; "an irrefutable
       argument" [syn: incontrovertible, irrefutable,
       positive]
    7: of or relating to positivism; "positivist thinkers";
       "positivist doctrine"; "positive philosophy" [syn:
       positivist, positivistic, positive]
    8: reckoned, situated or tending in the direction which
       naturally or arbitrarily is taken to indicate increase or
       progress or onward motion; "positive increase in graduating
       students" [ant: negative]
    9: greater than zero; "positive numbers"
    10: having a positive charge; "protons are positive" [syn:
        positive, electropositive, positively charged]
    11: marked by excessive confidence; "an arrogant and cocksure
        materialist"; "so overconfident and impudent as to speak to
        the queen"; "the less he knows the more positive he gets"
        [syn: cocksure, overconfident, positive]
    n 1: the primary form of an adjective or adverb; denotes a
         quality without qualification, comparison, or relation to
         increase or diminution [syn: positive, positive degree]
    2: a film showing a photographic image whose tones correspond to
       those of the original subject

Positive \Pos"i*tive\, a. [OE. positif, F. positif, L.
   positivus. See Position.]
   1. Having a real position, existence, or energy; existing in
      fact; real; actual; -- opposed to negative. "Positive
      good." --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on
      changing circumstances or relations; absolute; -- opposed
      to relative; as, the idea of beauty is not positive, but
      depends on the different tastes individuals.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Definitely laid down; explicitly stated; clearly
      expressed; -- opposed to implied; as, a positive
      declaration or promise.
      [1913 Webster]

            Positive words, that he would not bear arms against
            King Edward's son.                    --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Hence: Not admitting of any doubt, condition,
      qualification, or discretion; not dependent on
      circumstances or probabilities; not speculative;
      compelling assent or obedience; peremptory; indisputable;
      decisive; as, positive instructions; positive truth;
      positive proof. "'T is positive 'gainst all exceptions."
      --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. Prescribed by express enactment or institution; settled by
      arbitrary appointment; said of laws.
      [1913 Webster]

            In laws, that which is natural bindeth universally;
            that which is positive, not so.       --Hooker.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. Fully assured; confident; certain; sometimes,
      overconfident; dogmatic; overbearing; -- said of persons.
      [1913 Webster]

            Some positive, persisting fops we know,
            That, if once wrong, will needs be always. --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. Having the power of direct action or influence; as, a
      positive voice in legislation. --Swift.
      [1913 Webster]

   8. (Photog.) Corresponding with the original in respect to
      the position of lights and shades, instead of having the
      lights and shades reversed; as, a positive picture.
      [1913 Webster]

   9. (Chem.)
      (a) Electro-positive.
      (b) Hence, basic; metallic; not acid; -- opposed to
          negative, and said of metals, bases, and basic
          radicals.
          [1913 Webster]

   10. (Mach. & Mech.)
       (a) Designating, or pertaining to, a motion or device in
           which the movement derived from a driver, or the grip
           or hold of a restraining piece, is communicated
           through an unyielding intermediate piece or pieces;
           as, a claw clutch is a positive clutch, while a
           friction clutch is not.
       (b) Designating, or pertaining to, a device giving a
           to-and-fro motion; as, a positive dobby.
           [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   11. (Vehicles) Designating a method of steering or turning in
       which the steering wheels move so that they describe
       concentric arcs in making a turn, to insure freedom from
       side slip or harmful resistance.
       [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   Positive crystals (Opt.), a doubly refracting crystal in
      which the index of refraction for the extraordinary ray is
      greater than for the ordinary ray, and the former is
      refracted nearer to the axis than the latter, as quartz
      and ice; -- opposed to negative crystal, or one in which
      this characteristic is reversed, as Iceland spar,
      tourmaline, etc.

   Positive degree (Gram.), that state of an adjective or
      adverb which denotes simple quality, without comparison or
      relation to increase or diminution; as, wise, noble.

   Positive electricity (Elec), the kind of electricity which
      is developed when glass is rubbed with silk, or which
      appears at that pole of a voltaic battery attached to the
      plate that is not attacked by the exciting liquid; --
      formerly called vitreous electricity; -- opposed to
      negative electricity.

   Positive eyepiece. See under Eyepiece.

   Positive law. See Municipal law, under Law.

   Positive motion (Mach.), motion which is derived from a
      driver through unyielding intermediate pieces, or by
      direct contact, and not through elastic connections, nor
      by means of friction, gravity, etc.; definite motion.

   Positive philosophy. See Positivism.

   Positive pole.
       (a) (Elec.) The pole of a battery or pile which yields
           positive or vitreous electricity; -- opposed to
           negative pole.
       (b) (Magnetism) The north pole. [R.]

   Positive quantity (Alg.), an affirmative quantity, or one
      affected by the sign plus [+].

   Positive rotation (Mech.), left-handed rotation.

   Positive sign (Math.), the sign [+] denoting plus, or more,
      or addition.
      [1913 Webster]

Positive \Pos"i*tive\, n.
   1. That which is capable of being affirmed; reality. --South.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. That which settles by absolute appointment.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Gram.) The positive degree or form.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Photog.) A picture in which the lights and shades
      correspond in position with those of the original, instead
      of being reversed, as in a negative. --R. Hunt.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. (Elec.) The positive plate of a voltaic or electrolytic
      cell.
      [1913 Webster]

POSITIVE. Express; absolute; not doubtful. This word is frequently used in 
composition. 
     2. A positive condition is where the thing which is the subject of it 
must happen; as, if I marry. It is opposed to a negative condition, which is 
where the thing which is the subject of it must not happen; as, if I do not 
marry. 
     3. A positive fraud is the intentional and successful employment of any 
cunning, deception or artifice, to circumvent, cheat, or deceive another. 1 
Story, Eq. Sec. 186; Dig. 4, 3, 1, 2; Dig. 2, 14, 7, 9. It is cited in 
opposition to constructive fraud. (q.v.) 
     4. Positive evidence is that which, if believed, establishes the truth 
or falsehood of a fact in issue, and does not arise from any presumption. It 
is distinguished from circumstantial evidence. 3 Bouv. Inst. n. 3057. 

POSITIVE, adj.  Mistaken at the top of one's voice.