否定（ひてい、hitei）
- negation

The Japanese word 否定 (ひてい, *hitei*) primarily means "denial," "negation," or "to negate." It signifies the act of rejecting, disproving, or stating that something is not true or does not exist. It's a fundamental concept in logic, grammar, and everyday communication. It can refer to the act of saying "no" to something, rejecting a claim, or showing disapproval.

⚫︎その意見を 否定 します。 Translation: I deny that opinion. ⚫︎彼女は 否定 的な態度をとった。 Translation: She took a negative attitude. ⚫︎その証拠は 否定 できない。 Translation: That evidence cannot be denied.

⚫︎否定 is used in various contexts, including: ⚫︎Denying a statement or claim. ⚫︎Expressing disagreement or opposition. ⚫︎Rejecting an offer or proposal. ⚫︎Referring to something as untrue or incorrect. ⚫︎In formal settings, 否定 is often used to emphasize a strong rejection. The more casual いや（*iya*, no), or variations thereof, might be used in more informal scenarios.

⚫︎The word 否定 is most commonly written with the kanji 否定. ⚫︎The reading is ひてい (*hitei*) in hiragana. ⚫︎There are no significant variations in okurigana.

⚫︎拒否（きょひ, *kyohi*): Refusal, rejection. ⚫︎反対（はんたい, *hantai*): Opposition, objection. ⚫︎打ち消す（うちけす, *uchikesu*): To negate, to deny (verb). ⚫︎否認（ひにん, *hinin*): Denial (formal).

⚫︎肯定（こうてい, *koutei*): Affirmation, acceptance, approval. ⚫︎承認（しょうにん, *shounin*): Approval, recognition. ⚫︎認める（みとめる, *mitomeru*): To admit, to recognize, to approve.

彼はその事実を 否定 しようとしなかった。 ・Translation: He didn't try to deny the fact. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates 否定 used in a context of acknowledging or failing to deny a known reality.

彼女は彼の提案を 否定 しました。 ・Translation: She negated his proposal. ・Explanation: This example shows 否定 being used to express a rejection or a disapproval of something offered or suggested.

The word 否定 is a compound word, formed from the kanji 否（ひ, *hi*), which means "no" or "not," and the kanji 定（てい, *tei*), which means "to decide" or "to fix." Combined, the meaning becomes "to decide not" or "to negate."