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.
© Webster 1913.
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.
© Webster 1913.