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

/ nɒt /

adverb

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

      I will not stand for it

   2. ( in combination )

      they cannot go

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

   I expect to lose the game — not that I mind

1. used to indicate denial, negation, or refusal

   certainly not

not-

²

combining form

1. a variant of noto-

Word History and Origins

Origin of not¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; weak variant of nought

Word History and Origins

Origin of not¹

C14 not, variant of nought nothing, from Old English nāwiht, from nā no + wiht creature, thing. See _naught , _nought

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. not so much, (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

• (not a) Chinaman's chance
• (not to) sneeze at
• (not) all there
• (not) at all
• (not) in the least
• (not) in the mood
• (not) move a muscle
• (not) take no for an answer
• (not) the half of it
• (not) turn a hair
• all that glitters is not gold
• believe it or not
• can't
• caught dead, not be
• coming or going, not know if
• couldn't
• do as I say (not as I do)
• game is not worth the candle
• heart (not) in it
• hold one's breath, not
• it's (not) your funeral
• last but not least
• like as not
• living soul, not a
• mince matters, not to
• more often than not
• no problem (not to worry)
• 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
• wouldn't

Example Sentences

The average survival time for those who get treatment is 15 months after diagnosis, according to the foundation, compared with three to six months for those who do not.

From Los Angeles Times

“We know the rules, and if anything is not clear, we remind ourselves what the rules are. And we make it absolutely clear we will abide by those rules.”

From Los Angeles Times

The witness said they did not believe the man lived in the complex.

From Los Angeles Times

The details of Knight's upbringing were not disclosed in court, but Judge Richardson described them as "baleful".

From BBC

The gathering at the Capitol on Wednesday put those victims front and centre - with an added promise that they would not be silenced.

From BBC