cannot

[ kan-ot, ka-not, kuh- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb

a form of can not.

cannot

/ kæˈnɒt; ˈkænɒt /

verb

an auxiliary verb expressing incapacity, inability, withholding permission, etc; can not

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Spelling Note

Cannot is sometimes also spelled can not. The one-word spelling is by far the more common: Interest rates simply cannot continue at their present level. The contraction can't is most common in speech and informal writing.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of cannot¹

A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

cannot but, have no alternative but to:
We cannot but choose otherwise.

More idioms and phrases containing cannot

see under can't .

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Compare Meanings

How does cannot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

can't vs. cannot

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"It is not even a question. U.S. citizens cannot be deported by ICE. It’s the law, it’s the Constitution."

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It cannot go on, he adds, because that would not be good.

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Now there is an acceptance players hold a lot of power and cannot be denied lucrative franchise opportunities.

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Denying public funding based on religion “is odious to our Constitution and cannot stand,” Roberts wrote in 2017.

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When he did not respond, she said he "cannot name a single place because nothing is happening".

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

cannonry Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it

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