none

¹

[nuhn]

pronoun

1. not one.

   None of the members is going.

2. not any, as of something indicated.

   None of the pie is left. That is none of your business.

3. no part; nothing.

   I'll have none of your backtalk!

4. (used with a plural verb),  no or not any persons or things.

   I left three pies on the table and now there are none. None were left when I came.

adverb

1. to no extent; in no way; not at all.

   The supply is none too great.

adjective

1. Archaic.,  not any; no (usually used only before a vowel orh ).

   Thou shalt have none other gods but me.

none

²

[nohn]

noun

1. nones.

none

¹

/ nʌn /

pronoun

1. not any of a particular class

   none of my letters has arrived

2. no-one; nobody

   there was none to tell the tale

3. no part (of a whole); not any (of)

   none of it looks edible

4. no other person

   none other than the Queen herself

5. (foll by a comparative adjective) in no degree

   she was none the worse for her ordeal

6. not very

   he was none too pleased with his car

none

²

/ nəʊn /

noun

1. another word for nones

Usage

None is a singular pronoun and should be used with a singular form of a verb: none of the students has (not have ) a car

Grammar Note

Since none has the meanings “not one” and “not any,” some insist that it always be treated as a singular and be followed by a singular verb: The rescue party searched for survivors, but none was found. However, none has been used with both singular and plural verbs since the 9th century. When the sense is “not any persons or things” (as in the example above), the plural is more common: … none were found. Only when none is clearly intended to mean “not one” or “not any” is it followed by a singular verb: Of all my articles, none has received more acclaim than my latest one.

Word History and Origins

Origin of none¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English non, Old English nān, equivalent to ne “not” + ān “one”; one

Origin of none²

1175–1225; Middle English; Old English nōn < Latin nōna ( hōra ) ninth (hour). See noon

Word History and Origins

Origin of none¹

Old English nān, literally: not one

Idioms and Phrases

• all (none) of the above
• bar none
• not have it (have none of)
• second to none

Example Sentences

“The attention to detail and the creative element and everything that is going on with those old Disney rides is still, to this day, second to none.”

From Los Angeles Times

First seen cycling his city’s streets day and night with a becalmed sense of ownership, Holland’s Roger is a die-hard Brooklynite none too happy with the smoothing over of his cherished neighborhoods by “obscene” money.

From Los Angeles Times

As a high school student in San José, Chavez-Garcia knew none of this history — “we learned more about the Homestead Act in the Midwest,” she joked.

From Los Angeles Times

But I think the overarching theme is that none of us are happy with where we’re at in terms of what our record has been.

From Los Angeles Times

Though none of them had their world premieres at the festival, last year’s winners “Anora,” The Brutalist,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Conclave,” “Flow,” “I’m Still Here,” “The Substance” and “No Other Land” all played there.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• no one 
• nobody 
• nothing