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Meaning & use

not

adverb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/nɒt/
US/nɑːt/

Meanings

  1. adverbnot comparable

    Used with a verb to say that something is false, did not happen or is the opposite of what was said.

    Grammar: Follows an auxiliary or be: I do not know; she is not here. In speech it often shortens: don't, isn't.

    Patterns

    • do not do something
    • be not something
    • not to do something

    I do not know where the keys are.

    The train is not late today.

    They have not finished the report yet.

  2. adverbnot comparable

    Used before a word or phrase to deny or reject that particular part, often to correct or contrast.

    Grammar: Placed directly before the word it negates: not today, not him.

    Patterns

    • not something but something
    • not only something but also something

    We meet on Tuesday, not Wednesday.

    She wanted advice, not criticism.

    Not everyone enjoys loud music.

  3. adverbnot comparable

    Used as a short reply that stands for a whole negative clause, after verbs such as hope, think, suppose or after if.

    Grammar: It replaces a full clause: I hope not means I hope it is not so.

    Patterns

    • I hope not
    • if not
    • whether or not

    Will it rain tomorrow? I hope not.

    Come early if you can, and if not, send a message.

    Are you coming or not?

Common combinations

not at all
I do not mind the noise at all.
not only ... but also
The hotel is not only cheap but also spotless.
not yet
The results have not arrived yet.
whether or not
We will go whether or not it rains.
certainly not
Can I borrow your car? Certainly not.
not to mention
The soup was delicious, not to mention cheap.

Synonyms and how they differ

no
No answers a question or refuses on its own, while not negates a word or verb inside a sentence.
never
Never means at no time, so it is stronger and about time, whereas not simply makes a statement negative.
n't
The contraction n't is the spoken and informal form, while not is used in careful writing and for emphasis.

Opposites

indeed

Word family

nothing pronoun
not anything
nobody pronoun
not any person
none pronoun
not any of a group
neither conjunction
not one and not the other

Commonly confused: not or knot? not or no?

not vs knot

A knot is a tied loop in rope, and it sounds the same as not but is a noun.

not vs no

Use no as an answer or before a noun (no time), and not to negate a verb or other word.

Practice

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