A classification of N-partite states, based on K-way negativities (K=2 to N), is proposed. The K-way partial transpose with respect to a subsystem is defined so as to shift the focus to K-way coherences instead of K subsystems of the composite system. For an N-partite system, the fraction of K-way negativity contributing to global negativity, is obtained. After minimizing K-way negativities through local unitary qubit rotations, a combined analysis of 2-way, 3-way and global negativities is shown to provide distinct measures of genuine tripartite, W-state like and bipartite entanglement, for three qubit composite system. To illustrate the point, entanglement of three qubit GHZ class states, W-class states, three boson state and noisy states is analysed. While genuine N-partite entanglement of a composite system is generated by N-way coherences, N-partite entanglement in general can be present due to (K
A characterization of multipartite quantum states having
N subsystems, based on negativities of matrices obtained by selective partial transposition of the state operator, is proposed. The
K-way partial transpose with respect to a subsystem is constructed by imposing constraints involving the states of
K subsystems of the multipartite composite system. The
K-way negativity, defined as the negativity of
K-way partial transpose, quantifies the
K-way coherences of the composite system. For an
N-partite system the fraction of
K-way negativity $(2\ensuremath{\le}K\ensuremath{\le}N)$, contributing to global negativity, is obtained. The entanglement measures for a given state $\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\rho}}$ are identified as the partial
K-way negativities of the corresponding canonical state.