A negative right is a right, either moral or decreed by law, to not be subject to an action of another human being (usually abuse or coercion). Negative rights are sometimes contrasted with positive rights, which are rights to be provided with something by the positive action of another. The former proscribe action, while the latter prescribe action.
One example of a negative right is the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which makes it unlawful for the government to abridge a person's speech. A law requiring another person to provide him with a microphone would codify a positive right.
See also