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View synonyms for

not

1

[ not ]

adverb

  1. (used to express negation, denial, refusal, or prohibition):

    You must not do that. It's not far from here.

  2. U.S. Slang. (used jocularly as a postpositive interjection to indicate that a previous statement is untrue):

    I just love working overtime without pay. Not!



NOT

2

[ not ]

noun

  1. a Boolean operator that returns a positive result if its operand is negative and a negative result if its operand is positive.

not-

3
  1. variant of noto- before a vowel.

not

1

/ ɒ /

adverb

    1. used to negate the sentence, phrase, or word that it modifies

      I will not stand for it

    2. ( in combination )

      they cannot go

  1. not that
    conjunction which is not to say or suppose that Also (archaic)not but what

    I expect to lose the game — not that I mind

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sentence substitute

  1. used to indicate denial, negation, or refusal

    certainly not

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

not-

2

combining_form

  1. a variant of noto-
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of not1

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; weak variant of nought
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Word History and Origins

Origin of not1

C14 not, variant of nought nothing, from Old English ɾ, from no + wiht creature, thing. See naught , nought
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. not so much, Informal. (an expression of dismissive scorn, ambivalence, or skepticism):

    Attractive? Yes. Smart? Not so much.

    Is the world coming to an end? Yeah, not so much.

More idioms and phrases containing not

  • all that glitters is not gold
  • (not) all there
  • (not) at all
  • believe it or not
  • caught dead, not be
  • (not a) Chinaman's chance
  • coming or going, not know if
  • do as I say (not as I do)
  • game is not worth the candle
  • heart (not) in it
  • hold one's breath, not
  • (not) in the least
  • (not) in the mood
  • it's (not) your funeral
  • last but not least
  • like as not
  • living soul, not a
  • mince matters, not to
  • more often than not
  • (not) move a muscle
  • no problem (not to worry)
  • (not to) sneeze at
  • (not) take no for an answer
  • (not) the half of it
  • (not) turn a hair
  • two wrongs do not make a right
  • waste not, want not
  • whether or not
  • without a (not a) leg to stand on
  • won't (will not) hear of
  • can't
  • couldn't
  • wouldn't
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Lue had implored his group to get off to a better start, to not have to play catchup in this road game, to not get “bored with the process.”

From

“Sometimes that’s a good thing. But this early in the year, it’s probably not.”

From

In January, it reversed rules for its cafes in North America that allowed people to use their facilities even if they had not bought anything.

From

The US president and his 145% tariffs have not instilled fear in many Chinese traders.

From

Martinez did not move from San Siro and, five years on, has made Inter his team - hitting at least 20 goals in each of the past four seasons and breaking one record after another.

From

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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Nosy ParkerNOTA