PRIV'ATIVE, a. Causing privation.
1. Consisting in the absence of something; not positive. Privative is in things, what negative is in propositions; as privative blessings, safeguard, liberty and integrity.
PRIV'ATIVE, n. That of which the essence is the absence of something. Blackness and darkness are privatives.
1. In grammar, a prefix to a word which changes its signification and gives it a contrary sense, as a, in Greek; unjust; un and in in English, as unwise, inhuman. The word may also be applied to suffixes, as less, in harmless.
