negative capabilities

A form of negative capability — The capacity of artists to pursue ideals of beauty, perfection and sublimity even when it leads them into intellectual confusion and uncertainty, as opposed to a preference for philosophical certainty over artistic beauty.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of negative capability
Cite this entry
APA

negative capabilities. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/negative%20capabilities

MLA

“negative capabilities.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/negative%20capabilities. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “negative capabilities,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/negative%20capabilities.

Source: negative capabilities on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.