Priv"a*tive (?), a. [L.
privativus: cf. F. privatif. See Private.]
1. Causing privation; depriving.
2. Consisting in the absence of something; not
positive; negative.
Privative blessings, blessings of immunity,
safeguard, liberty, and integrity.
Jer.
Taylor.
3. (Gram.) Implying privation or
negation; giving a negative force to a word; as, alpha
privative; privative particles; -- applied to such
prefixes and suffixes as a- (Gr. &?;), un-, non-,
-less.
Priv"a*tive, n.
1. That of which the essence is the absence of
something.
Blackness and darkness are indeed but
privatives.
Bacon.
2. (Logic) A term indicating the
absence of any quality which might be naturally or rationally
expected; -- called also privative term.
3. (Gram.) A privative prefix or
suffix. See Privative, a., 3.
