PRIVATIVE

PRIVATIVE, in grammar, a particle, which, prefixed to a word, changes it into a contrary sense. Thus, among the Greeks, the $\backslash alpha$ is used as a privative; as in $\backslash alpha$-llos, atheist, acephalus, &c. The Latins have their privative in in; as, incurrigibilis, indeclinabilis, &c. The English, French, &c. on occasion, borrow both the Latin and Greek privatives.