In radiotelephone communications, what does the term "Negative" indicate?

• A. Denial or disagreement; means “no.”
• B. Positive acknowledgement
• C. Request for repetition
• D. Standby for further instructions

Answer: (A)

In radiotelephone communications, Negative is a clear way to say no. It denotes denial or disagreement with a request, statement, or condition, indicating that the pilot or controller cannot comply or that something is not true. For example, if asked, “Is the runway clear?” and the response is Negative, that means the runway is not clear. If asked to proceed at a certain altitude or heading and a Negative is given, that instruction cannot be followed at that moment.

This is different from an affirmative, which confirms yes, and from a request for repetition or standby, which are about awaiting more information or time. Negative is specifically about denying or refusing.