A negative-sense RNA strand is the complementary copy of a viral genome that carries genetic information in the opposite direction. In virology, the term negativestrand RNA is widely used to describe influenza, measles, mumps and Ebola viruses. Synonyms for negative-sense RNA stem from how the viral genome is transcribed. Some examples include anti-sense, non-coding, template, and minus-strand RNA. These terminologies are used interchangeably, but they all describe the RNA strand that is complementary to the messenger RNA (mRNA) used in protein synthesis. In summary, synonyms for negative-sense RNA strand pertain to the direction of the RNA molecule and show how it is used in viral replication.