English → Latin
“positive” in Latin
vērustrue, real, actual (conforming to the actual state of reality or fact; factually correct); true, genuine (not counterfeicertuscertain; fixed, settled, firm; resolved, determinedaiōto say, speak, assert, say “yes”, affirm (also in reply); to say, argueaffirmōto present (something) as fixed, firm, or true; affirm, assert, maintain; to strengthen, confirm, corroborate; to make cverbumword; proverb, saying; verbiūstusjust, righteous; lawful, legal; justified, merited, well-deserved, due
The English word positive itself goes back to Latin pōnō, through positivus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
positive
verus (true, real): certus (certain, sure): in re positus (not nominal): re (opposed to verbo, verbis; in fact, not merely in report): pertinax in sententia sua tuenda (confident in assertion).
Affirmative, not negative, ajens (opposed to negans); affirmans (☞ affirmativus is late).
Receiving its binding force from enactment, quod constitutione continetur (e.g., justum; opposed to quod natura continetur, what is binding antecedently to or without enactment, Quint., 7, 4, 5): a positive law, lex scripta (opposed to lex nata): jus civile (opposed to jus naturale): positive religion, *religio lege sancita: what is positive, statio (opposed to natura, Vitr., 1, 2, 5): constitutio (Quint., 7, 4, 5).
Positive degree (grammatical), positivus gradus, or positivus only (Prisc.): in the positive, absolutus (opposed to comparativus; e.g., utimur vulgo comparativis pro absolutis, Quint., 9, 3, 19; conf. Gell., 5, 21, 13, in ea episto la scriptum est, pluria sive plura absolutum esse sive simplex; non, ut tibi videtur, comparativum).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for positive?
- The usual Latin words for “positive” are vērus, certus, aiō; also affirmō, verbum, iūstus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.