Privative \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.