A low absorptivity broadband negative refractive index metamaterial with a multi-gap split-ring and metallic cross (MSMC) structure is proposed and investigated numerically and experimentally in the microwave frequency range. The effective media parameters were retrieved from the numerical and experimental results, which clearly show that there exists a very wide frequency band where the permittivity and permeability are negative. The influence of the structure parameters on the magnetic response and the cut-off frequency of the negative permittivity are studied in detail. This metamaterial would have potential application in designing broadband microwave devices. A low absorptivity broadband negative refractive index metamaterial with a multi-gap split-ring and metallic cross (MSMC) structure is proposed and investigated numerically and experimentally in the microwave frequency range. The effective media parameters were retrieved from the numerical and experimental results, which The influence of the structure parameters on the magnetic response and the cut-off frequency of the negative permittivity are studied in detail. This metamaterial would have potential application in designing broadband microwave devices.