A negative pregnant is a form of denial in a pleading that, while stated in a negative form, actually implies an admission of the substantial facts alleged. It occurs when a material fact is alleged alongside qualifying or modifying language, and the denial literally repeats this qualified allegation; this is considered a denial only of the qualifying circumstances, thereby admitting the core fact. A negative pregnant does not qualify as a specific denial and is considered an admission.

Examples of a negative pregnant include:

• Denying the statement "I owe the plaintiff P500,000.00" by merely stating "I deny that I owe the plaintiff P500,000.00," which suggests that some other amount is owed, but not necessarily P500,000.00.
• In response to the allegation "Plaintiff extended a loan to Defendant in the amount of P500,000 on July 27, 2006 in Baguio City," the defendant's denial "Defendant specifically denies that Plaintiff extended a loan to Defendant in the amount of P500,000 on July 27, 2006 in Baguio City" is a negative pregnant. This repetition of the allegation without specifying which part is denied (the loan itself, the amount, the date, or the location) is vague and is considered an admission of the underlying loan.