Double negative

When you use a double negative (or, worse, a multiple negative), you force your readers to work hard to understand your meaning. The strict definition of double negative is the use of two negatives in one clause; however, two negatives can be confusing even if they are in separate clauses in the same sentence.

Generally speaking, you should avoid double negatives and multiple negatives. Convey your meaning with positive declarations whenever possible.

Example of the multiple negative

“Defenders of liberty and a free society should not be intimidated by enemies of liberty and a free society – liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican, and even some libertarians – who label them as racists, bigots, or Neanderthals for objecting to certain provisions of the Civil Rights Act.

“This is not to say that no congressmen who voted against the Civil Rights Act were racists, bigots, or Neanderthals. But the fact that some or all of them were doesn’t mean that the Civil Rights Act – like most legislation passed by Congress for the past 100 years – wasn’t an unconstitutional expansion of federal power that destroyed the rights of private property, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, free enterprise, and freedom of contract.” (Boldface added.) (Full article here.)

Critique of the example

In the second paragraph, each of the two sentences contains three negatives. To make matters worse, the first sentence of the paragraph begins with a pronoun that has a vague antecedent that may consist of the entire preceding paragraph. Worse still, the author has confusingly placed two unrelated verbs together (were and doesn't) in the second sentence of the second paragraph.

Here is an easier-to-understand version* of the two paragraphs:

Ignore anyone who calls you a racist, bigot or Neanderthal for objecting to certain provisions of the Civil Rights Act.

Some of the congressmen who voted against the Civil Rights Act may have been racists, bigots or Neanderthals. Nevertheless, the Civil Rights Act – like most legislation passed by Congress for the past 100 years – was still an unconstitutional expansion of federal power. It destroyed the rights of private property, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, free enterprise, and freedom of contract.

The Takeaway: Generally speaking, you should use positive declarations and avoid double negatives and multiple negatives. Remember, it is rude to compose your sentences carelessly and expect your readers to finish your work for you.

See disclaimer.

*I am assuming – but cannot be certain – that I have correctly guessed the author’s meaning.