Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
false-positive
noun
/fɔːls ˈpɒz.ɪ.tɪv/
Definition
A false-positive is a test result that indicates the presence of a condition or attribute when it is not actually present.
Examples
- In the medical field, a false-positive result in a cancer screening can lead to unnecessary stress and further testing.
- The software mistakenly flagged benign activities as threats, resulting in a high number of false-positives.
Meaning
In various contexts, particularly in medical testing or data analysis, a false-positive occurs when a test suggests that something is true (like a disease or a condition) when, in reality, it is false.
Synonyms
- true negative
- error
- false alarm
