Positive words are words or phrases that convey a positive meaning or connotation. They are words that evoke feelings of happiness, joy, gratitude, appreciation, hope or improvement of something.
Positive words can be used to describe people, events, experiences, or even abstract concepts, and they have the power to change the tone and atmosphere of a conversation or written piece.
Positive words differ from negative words in that they promote a sense of optimism and well-being, rather than fostering negative emotions such as anger, fear, or sadness.
While negative words can be useful in certain contexts, such as warning others of danger or expressing dissatisfaction, positive words are generally preferred in most forms of communication because they create a more positive and supportive environment and feelings.
Key Takeaways
- What are Positive Words? Words that convey a positive meaning (like love or success) and evoke positive feelings.
- What is Positivity? A conscious mindset or attitude that focuses on the good.
- Key Difference: "Positive" is a quality or characteristic, while "positivity" is a mindset or active choice.
Defining Positive Words, Positive Meaning, and Positivity
To fully understand what positive words are, it's helpful to explore the nuance. We must first define the difference between the "positive" *quality* and the "positivity" *mindset*.
What is Positivity?
Positivity is a conscious choice to approach life with a hopeful, optimistic mindset, emphasizing the positive aspects of experiences and outcomes, and embracing resilience in the face of challenges.
In other words, positivity is a noun describing a way of thinking or behaving. It's an active choice to see the world in a brighter light.
What is Positive Meaning?
Positive is an adjective that describes something that is good, favorable, or beneficial. It can also refer to something that is realistic or practical.
So, "positive" is a beneficial quality or characteristic of something, while "positivity" is a way of thinking.
The "Money" Example: What About Ambiguous Words?
You can consider a word to be positive when it has at least one positive definition and is used to convey a positive message. Let's take the word 'money' as an example.
For some, 'money' is negative, but for others, it's positive. We can define money as a positive word because you can use it to do good. It's a resource, and it's beneficial to have resources—like food, energy, and knowledge. These examples show that the word money has positive qualities, so it's included in our list of positive words.
The 4 Types of Positive Meaning
A word can be considered positive when it has at least one positive definition. I've developed a simple classification that groups these definitions into four main types:
- Positive emotions: Words like love, joy, happiness, dedication, motivation, empathy, gratitude, and hope.
- Positive characteristics: Words like beauty, intelligence, honesty, knowledge, productivity, improvement, and protection.
- Life-enabling qualities: Words like fertility, sexuality, health, vitality, energy, nutrition, and light.
- Life-improving qualities: Words like freedom, fitness, and resilience.
(This positive word classification is a concept I am developing, in order to create a proper scientific classification for positive language!)
Let's take a little closer look of each category next.
Category 1. Words of Positive Emotion (States of Feeling)
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What it is: These words describe our internal affective states—the positive feelings we experience, from quiet contentment to active joy.
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Why it's a category: They are "feeling" words. They answer the question, "How do you feel?"
- Example words: love, joy, happiness, dedication, motivation, empathy, gratitude, hope, serenity, contentment, bliss, excitement, awe, peace, satisfaction.
Category 2: Words of Positive Virtues & Traits (Ways of Being)
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What it is: This category describes the inherent or cultivated positive attributes of a person, object, or idea. These are the "being" words.
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Why it's a category: They define character, identity, and positive qualities. They answer the question, "What is... (he/she/it) like?"
- Example words: beauty, intelligence, honesty, knowledge, courage, wisdom, integrity, creativity, strength, patience, compassion and generosity.
Category 3: Words of Foundational Well-being (States of Enabling)
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What it is: This category includes words that describe the core, foundational states necessary for a stable, healthy, and safe life.
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Why it's a category: These are the "enabling" words. They are the base upon which growth, action, and positive emotions can be built. They answer, "What conditions are met?"
- Example words: fertility, sexuality, health, vitality, energy, nutrition, light, safety, security, nourishment, abundance, life, balance and protection.
Category 4: Words of Positive Growth & Outcomes (Processes of Becoming)
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What it is: This category describes the improvement processes, actions, and results of positive development. These are the "becoming" or "achieving" words.
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Why it's a category: They represent our potential realized and our ability to overcome, achieve, and thrive. They answer, "What is the result?" or "What is the process?"
- Example words: freedom, fitness, resilience, productivity, improvement, achievement, success, empowerment, mastery, flourishing, growth, progress and capability.
Why these classification matter? You can think of these categories as building on each other. The Foundational Qualities (like health and safety) create the stable base that allows us to cultivate Positive Virtues (like courage). This combination enables us to experience Positive Emotions (like joy) and ultimately achieve Positive Growth & Outcomes (like resilience and success).
A List of Positive Words
Here are just a few examples of positive words that fit into the categories above. Notice how they range from feelings (happy) to characteristics (courageous) and qualities (beautiful).
While this list includes common examples, it's also important to understand the subtle differences *between* them. For example, "happy," "nice," and "kind" all seem positive, but they have very different meanings.
→ Read our full guide on the nuance between Happy, Nice, Kind and Positive words.
- Happy
- Joyful
- Grateful
- Appreciative
- Hopeful
- Kind
- Caring
- Passionate
- Courageous
- Resilient
- Resourceful
- Beautiful
- Wonderful
- Amazing
- Fantastic
- Superb
- Excellent
The Real Impact and Usefulness of Positive Words
Positive words have the power to motivate us, encourage us, and provide hope when we feel like giving up. They can be used to remind us of our potential and give us the strength to overcome our obstacles.
With the help of positive words, we can focus on the good moments in life and not let the negative ones bring us down. Positive words are essential for creating a healthy mindset and maintaining mental wellbeing.
They are also a powerful and easy resource for crafting better messages, wishes, greetings, emails, word art, handicraft or creative school projects. By using more positive words, you can improve your writing skills, make your messages more impactful, and spread goodwill in the circle of your contacts.
The sooner you'll start practicing using more positive words in your life the better. You'll become more mindful, a better writer, bring faster results for yourself, and motivate people around you.
Beware the "Toxic Positivity" Trap
The key to using positive words correctly is intent. When you try to forcefully be positive without real intent, it can become toxic positivity and make you just more miserable. Genuine positivity acknowledges challenges while focusing on possibilities, rather than just ignoring the negative.
Start now and be more mindful of what you write and utter into our beautiful and vibrant World.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What's the main difference between 'positive' and 'positivity'?
"Positive" is an adjective that describes a quality (e.g., "That was a positive experience"). "Positivity" is a noun that describes a mindset (e.g., "She has a lot of positivity"). One is a characteristic, the other is a way of thinking.
What is toxic positivity?
Toxic positivity is the act of forcing a positive mindset without real intent, often by suppressing or ignoring negative emotions. Genuine positivity, by contrast, acknowledges challenges but focuses on resilience and growth.
Is a word like 'money' a positive word?
A word can be considered to be positive if it has at least one positive definition or use. While 'money' can have negative associations, it is also a resource that can be used for good, growth, and security, giving it many positive definitions.
PS: In the Dictionary of Positivity and Positive Words blog, you only find positive definitions of the words. This makes the book and blog clutter-free and easier to browse.
If you are looking to have a list of all words, you can get an excellent regular dictionary like the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
