negation
/nɪˈɡeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /nɪˈɡeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ni-ˈgā-shən/ (ame, mw)
negation — 名詞
- negationsingular
- negationsplural
1. the process by which one thing wipes out or undoes the effect of another, so tha
抵銷；推翻
使原本存在的事物失去作用或效力
the process by which one thing wipes out or undoes the effect of another, so that what existed before no longer has any force.
The new tax cuts were a negation of every reform Lucía's team had pushed through last year.
新的減稅措施抵銷了 Lucía 團隊去年強力推動的每一項改革。
negation of + noun phrase (cancelling-out reading)
Critics argued that the bypass road would be a negation of the city's twenty-year cycling plan.
批評者主張，這條外環道路將會推翻市府二十年來的自行車計畫。
abstract subject ('the bypass road') performing the cancelling-out
For Arjun, the surprise eviction felt like a complete negation of everything he had built since moving to Manchester.
對 Arjun 來說，這場突如其來的驅離，像是把他搬到曼徹斯特之後所建立的一切完全抵銷掉。
Allowing private rigs back into the bay would amount to a negation of the marine protection rules signed in 2019.
讓私人鑽油平台重回海灣，等於是推翻了 2019 年簽訂的海洋保護規定。
- nullification
more formal, often legal; suggests an official cancelling
- undoing
more everyday; less abstract
- reversal
implies turning a previous decision around, not just cancelling it
- preservation
keeping in force rather than wiping out
文法句型
negation of [something]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense focuses on the active undoing of something that previously existed or had force; sense 2 is about the static state of being the opposite.
常見錯誤
2. a person, thing, or situation that stands as the direct opposite of another, or
對立面；反面
與某事物完全相反的人事物或狀態
a person, thing, or situation that stands as the direct opposite of another, or the complete absence of a quality that should be there.
Ezra's quiet kindness at the shelter felt like the negation of everything his father had stood for.
Ezra 在收容所裡那份安靜的善意，感覺正是他父親一向所堅持的價值的對立面。
'the negation of [abstract noun]' for stark opposition
The empty foodbank shelves in December were a stark negation of the mayor's promise of a fed city.
十二月時食物銀行空蕩蕩的貨架，赤裸裸地成了市長「讓全市吃飽」承諾的反面。
adjective 'stark' commonly modifies negation in this sense
Xiu described the cramped student flats as the negation of the architect's original idea of open community living.
Xiu 形容那些狹窄的學生宿舍，是建築師原本「開放式社區生活」構想的對立面。
Many readers see the novel's ending as a deliberate negation of the romantic hopes the early chapters build up.
許多讀者認為，這部小說的結局，是對前幾章鋪陳出的浪漫期待的刻意反向呈現。
- antithesis
more literary; emphasises sharp contrast
- opposite
everyday word; less formal than negation
- contradiction
highlights the logical clash between two things
- embodiment
being the full expression of, not the opposite of
文法句型
the negation of [noun]
用法筆記
Subject is usually an event, condition, or person framed against an ideal or promise. Unlike sense 1, no active 'undoing' is implied — the contrast simply exists.
常見錯誤
3. the act of refusing a request, offer, or invitation, or of disagreeing with a pr
拒絕；婉拒
對請求、邀約或提案表示不同意
the act of refusing a request, offer, or invitation, or of disagreeing with a proposal that has been put forward.
Christopher took the chairman's slow head shake as a polite negation of his funding request.
Christopher 把主席緩緩搖頭的動作，視為對他經費申請的一種委婉拒絕。
common verb pairing: 'take [gesture] as a negation of [request]'
Indra waited for an answer, but only got a silent negation when the manager turned away.
Indra 等著回應，卻只在經理轉身離開時，得到一個無聲的拒絕。
adjective 'silent' marking refusal without spoken words
After three rounds of negation from the planning office, Eli finally withdrew the building application.
在被都市計畫處連續婉拒三輪之後，Eli 終於撤回了建照申請。
Obi felt the panel's swift negation of his proposal even before any member had spoken.
Obi 還沒等到任何委員發言，就已經感受到審查小組對他提案的迅速拒絕。
- acceptance
agreeing to a request or offer
- assent
formal agreement
文法句型
negation of a request
in negation
用法筆記
Frequently paired with abstract sources of authority (panel, office, board). Distinguish from sense 4: here the refusal targets a request or offer; in sense 4, what is denied is the truth of a statement.
常見錯誤
4. a statement, or the act of producing one, declaring that some claim is false; in
否定；否認
聲明某項陳述不為真；邏輯文法中的否定運算
a statement, or the act of producing one, declaring that some claim is false; in grammar and logic, the operation that turns a true claim into a false one and vice versa.
Ziad's report was a flat negation of the claim that the lift had been checked.
Ziad 的報告就是直接否認「電梯已檢查過」的這項說法。
'a flat negation of [a claim]' — bare denial of truth
In English, the negation of 'she is hungry' is formed simply by adding 'not' after the verb.
在英文裡，把「she is hungry」變成否定句，只要在動詞之後加上「not」就行了。
grammar-textbook reading: 'the negation of [sentence]'
Élise structured her thesis as a careful negation of the older view of the trade routes.
Élise 把她的論文寫成一篇對貿易路線舊有觀點的細緻否定。
In logic class, students learn that the negation of a true sentence is always false.
在邏輯課上，學生學到一個真句子的否定永遠是假的。
- denial
everyday word for stating something is not true
- contradiction
stresses the clash with what was claimed
- rebuttal
argues against a claim with reasons, not just states the opposite
- affirmation
stating that something is true
文法句型
a negation of [a claim]
in negation
用法筆記
Frequently used in linguistics and logic with a precise technical meaning. Outside those fields, prefer 'denial' or 'rebuttal' in everyday writing — 'negation of a claim' sounds quite academic.