Final answer:
A negative magnification indicates an inverted image, while a magnification less than one indicates a reduced size.
Step-by-step explanation:
A negative magnification indicates an inverted image, where the top of the object appears at the bottom in the image. On the other hand, a magnification whose absolute value is less than one indicates a reduced size of the image compared to the object. For example, if the magnification is 0.5, it means that the image is half the size of the object.