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double negative. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
double negative, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
double negative in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
double negative you have here. The definition of the word
double negative will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
double negative, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
| Examples
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- "Jimmy, you look awfully guilty, have you been naughty again?"
"Me sir, no sir, I haven't done nothing wrong, I swear."
The -n't and the nothing together create a double negative.
- Never let nobody talk you into shaking another man's jolt.
Nelson Algren, A Walk on the Wild Side
- He nevere yet no vilaynie ne sayde.
Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales
The highlighted terms create a triple negative.
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Noun
double negative (plural double negatives)
- (rhetoric, usually derogatory) A phrase including two negative words (no, not, never, etc.) especially when used as intensifiers in informal English.
- 2006 Feb. 17, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 1, Episode 4:
- Nuh-nuh-doin'-duh... Nuh-nuh-doin'-duh... We don't need no education...
Yes, you do. You've just used a double negative.
Translations
phrase in which there are two negative words
See also
