don't

American  

[dohnt] / doʊnt /

verb

1. contraction of do not.

2. Nonstandard except in some dialects. contraction of does not.

---

noun

1. don'ts, customs, rules, or regulations that forbid something.

   The boss has a long list of don'ts that you had better observe if you want a promotion.

don't British  

/ dəʊnt /

contraction

1. do not

---

Etymology

Origin of don't

First recorded in 1600–10

---

Compare meaning

How does dont compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• don't vs. doesn't

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

don't

Mr. Conlon sticks to his rejection of political labels: “I don’t like using the words conservative and liberal to describe what we’re doing.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

For somebody to say that this does not look like Dwyane Wade in action, they don’t know Dwayne Wade in action.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

They don’t call them forever wars for nothing.

From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026

“I don’t think we’d see the same amount of interest if the law had not been passed,” King said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Yet the Localizers/Phrenologists don't have all the facts.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---