positive
Usage
What are other ways to say positive?
The adjective positive implies emphatic certainty, which may even become overconfidence or dogmatism. Certain suggests that there are definite reasons that have freed one from doubt. Confident emphasizes the strength of the belief or the certainty of expectation felt. Sure, the simplest and most general term, expresses mere absence of doubt.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“We want to enable positive things to happen,” Rajaniemi said of the idea hatched at that 2025 meeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
On the positive side, Fitbit stags who bought into the IPO but sold soon after the stock went public made fast profits of up to 150%.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
"It gives you the feeling of a truce, of something very positive in a context that is anything but positive, because everything feels anxiety-inducing."
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Researchers also observed higher levels of 'Firmicutes' bacteria, a broad group of microbes that has previously been associated with positive emotions in females.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
Both false alarms and true warnings will be improved by knowing the difference between a bad day on the mountain and a positive signal that a volcano is on the brink of eruption.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
They concede that the operating environment in France is tough and that dividends will likely be lower in 2027, but point to several positives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
There is something sad about a club legend coming to thank the fans and instead getting booed, but there was no longer any positives to take, even for the happy clappers.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
There were certainly not many positives to take from this mess.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
But false positives were common, and whether getting a full-body scan stands to, on balance, increase your lifespan is unknown.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
“Yes. I suppose. Ten percent of the island’s Caucasian male population. It—” “And isn’t the percentage even higher, doctor, for males of Japanese descent? A higher percentage of B positives among the island’s Japanese-Americans?”
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Vocabulary lists containing positive
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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