human-sciencesphilosophysciencesActual, real, concrete, not theoretical or speculative.

• [I]f the privation be good, it followes not the former condition was evill, but lesse good; for the flower or blossome, is a positive good, although the remove of it to give place to the fruit, be a comparative good.
• 1885, Marcellin Berthelot, Les Origines de l'Alkimie as quoted in M. M. Pattison Muir, A History of Chemical Theories and Laws, 1907. Chemistry is not a primitive science, like geometry or astronomy; it is constructed from the debris of a previous scientific formation; a formation half chimerical and half positive...

natural-sciencesphysical-sciencesphysicsHaving more protons than electrons.

• A cation is a positive ion as it has more protons than electrons.

grammarhuman-scienceslinguisticsDescribing the primary sense of an adjective, adverb or noun; not comparative, superlative, augmentative nor diminutive.

• ‘Better’ is an irregular comparative of the positive form ‘good’.

grammarhuman-scienceslinguisticsDescribing a verb that is not negated, especially in languages which have distinct positive and negative verb forms, e.g., Finnish.

Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations.

• The idea of beauty is not positive, but depends on the different tastes of individuals.
• positive knowledge

Characterized by the existence or presence of distinguishing qualities or features, rather than by their absence.

• The box was not empty – I felt some positive substance within it.
• In other cases of moral alienation there will be found to have been more or less congenital moral defect, with maniacal exacerbations of positive moral insanity occurring perhaps at puberty, perhaps at the menstrual periods, perhaps after severe disappointment.

Characterized by the presence of features which support a hypothesis.

• The results of our experiment are positive.

Confirmed, straight-up.

• Ben […], who seems at first to be a likable guy but is actually a positive sexist.

artshobbieslifestyleOf a visual image, true to the original in light, shade and colour values.

• A positive photograph can be developed from a photographic negative.

Favorable, desirable by those interested or invested in that which is being judged.

• The first-night reviews were largely positive.

Wholly what is expressed; colloquially downright, entire, outright.

• Good lord, you've built up a positive arsenal of weaponry here.

Optimistic.

• He has a positive outlook on life.

chemistrynatural-sciencesphysical-scienceselectropositive

chemistrynatural-sciencesphysical-sciencesbasic; metallic; not acid; opposed to negative, and said of metals, bases, and basic radicals.

slangHIV positive.

• We certainly told him at that time that I was negative. We talked about transmission. We told him we don't do anything that would cause me to become positive.

Good, desirable, healthful, pleasant, enjoyable.

• positive energy; positive thoughts, feelings or emotions
• Negative feelings can be worked through and their energy converted into positive energy... In crisis, normal patterns of self-organization fail, resulting in anxiety (negative energy). Being open systems, people can exchange this energy with the environment and create positive energy for taking action...