Meaning & use

not

adverb·Everyday

Used to make a word, phrase, or clause negative, reversing or denying its meaning.

See it in a sentence

I am not going to the party tonight because I have to finish this report.

That was not the answer she was hoping to hear.

A note on using this word

Not commonly contracts with auxiliary verbs, as in isn't, don't, and won't, which are standard in speech and informal writing.

Words with a similar meaning

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Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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