2 meanings, 5 uses
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1 —1 use as in:
I'm absolutely positive!
Definition
certain (having no doubt; or used for emphasis)
- "Here," he said, and I absolutely, positively stopped breathing.
positively = with certainty
There are no more uses of "positive" flagged with this meaning in Change of Heart by Picoult.
Typical Usage
(best examples)
2 —2 uses as in:
The test came back positive.
Definition
found a condition or substance to be present
- So the water tested positive for something that looked like alcohol, but only in certain pipes.
positive = indicating that a condition was found
- One night, when I was on duty, the inmates got intoxicated, and sure enough the pipes tested positive for alcohol residue one day, although the water source tested perfectly normal.
positive = indicating that a condition was found
There are no more uses of "positive" flagged with this meaning in Change of Heart by Picoult.
Typical Usage
(best examples)
? —2 uses
exact meaning not specified
- They have the same blood type—B positive.
- ...to the refrigerator—in spite of what my mother likely imagined, the only food inside of it was ketchup, a jar of pimientos, Ollies carrots, and yogurt with an expiration date from Bill Clinton's administration—and poured myself a glass of Yellow Tail chardonnay I wanted to be pleasantly buzzed before I turned on the television set, where no doubt my fifteen minutes of fame was now going to be marred by a suit with stripes that made my already plus-size butt look positively planetary.
There are no more uses of "positive" in Change of Heart by Picoult.
Typical Usage
(best examples)