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# positive

adjective (positive, more positive, most positive); noun (a positive, positives); adverb positively

«positive» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Positive means sure: «I'm positive» means «I'm completely sure». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#m1)
2. Positive means hopeful and cheerful, thinking good things will happen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#m2)
3. Positive means good or useful: a positive change. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#m3)
4. In maths, a positive number is greater than zero. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#m4)
5. A positive test result shows that something is there, such as an illness. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#m5)
6. In science, positive is one of the two kinds of electric charge, marked +. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#m6)

### In the lessons

Maths: positive numbers are above 0 on a number line; negative numbers are below 0; zero is neither. Science: batteries have a positive (+) and a negative (−) end; magnets and charges attract or repel. Everyday life and well-being: positive thinking, a positive attitude, positive feedback. Health: a positive test for a virus means the virus was found. Phrases: think positive, stay positive, positive number, positive and negative, a positive attitude.

### Examples

- Are you positive you locked the door? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#x1)
- 5 is a positive number and −5 is a negative number. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#x2)
- Try to stay positive even when things go wrong. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#x3)
- The new playground had a positive effect on the town. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#x4)
- Her test came back positive, so she stayed home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#x5)
- Connect the wire to the positive end of the battery. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#x6)
- The teacher gave us positive comments on our stories. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#x7)
- Any number greater than zero is positive. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#x8)
- In addition to Fortuna, the Romans worshipped Felicitas as the giver of positive good fortune. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/#x9)

### Note

In maths: positive = greater than 0. Zero is not positive and not negative. Adding a positive number makes a total bigger; subtracting it makes it smaller. Trap: a «positive» medical test is usually not good news — it means the illness was found. Opposite: negative.

## In Jewish tradition

Here it means certain and definite, as in sure historical records. In the primary lessons: Maths: positive numbers are above 0 on a number line; negative numbers are below 0; zero is neither. Science: batteries have a positive (+) and a negative (−) end; magnets and charges attract or repel. Everyday life and well-being: positive thinking, a positive attitude, positive feedback. Health: a positive test for a virus means the virus was found. Phrases: think positive, stay positive, positive number, positive and negative, a positive attitude.

### Examples

- Other positive historical notices are those of Saadjah Gaon, who died a.d. 940, and Judah Halevi, a.d. 1150 ; (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/positive/#x1)
- Other positive historical notices are those of Saadjah Gaon, who died A.D. 940, and Judah Halevi, A.D. 1150%; \[p. 10\] both these Hebrew classics speak of it as a very ancient work. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/positive/#x2)

### Note

In maths: positive = greater than 0. Zero is not positive and not negative. Adding a positive number makes a total bigger; subtracting it makes it smaller. Trap: a «positive» medical test is usually not good news — it means the illness was found. Opposite: negative.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «positive» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/positive/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«positive» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/positive.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «positive» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/positive/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«positive» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/positive.html) on Mova free.