false negative, an incorrect result of a diagnostic test or procedure that falsely indicates the absence of a finding, condition, or disease. The rate of occurrence of false-negative results varies with the diagnostic accuracy and specificity of the test or procedure. As the accuracy and specificity of a test increase, the rate of false negatives decreases. Certain tests are known to yield false-negative results at a certain rate; in all tests a small number will occur by chance alone. False-negative results are more common than false-positive results, because the person conducting the test is more likely to fail to observe a finding than to imagine seeing something that does not exist. Compare false positive.
