aren't

American  

[ahrnt, ahr-uhnt] / ɑrnt, ˈɑr ənt /

1. contraction of are not.

2. contraction of am not (used interrogatively).

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aren't British  

/ ɑːnt /

contraction

1. are not

2. informal (used in interrogative sentences) am not

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Usage

The social unacceptability of ain't, the historical contraction of am not, has created a gap in the pattern of verbal contractions. I'm not, the alternative to I ain't, has no corresponding interrogative form except ain't I. In questions, ain't I is often avoided by the use of aren't I: I'm right, aren't I? Aren't I on the list? This aren't is simply a different outcome of the same historical development that yielded ain't, but the fact that it is spelled and pronounced like the contraction of are not (as in You are staying, aren't you? ) apparently gives it, for some, an acceptability that ain't lacks. The use of aren't I is objected to by others because a declarative counterpart, I aren't, does not exist. Many speakers, however, prefer aren't I to the uncontracted, rather formal am I not. See also ain't, contraction.

Etymology

Origin of aren't

As contraction of am not, a doublet of ain't (without raising of the vowel), spelling aren't by r-less speakers; ar was later substituted for the long a by speakers who regularly pronounce pre-consonantal r

Example Sentences

Some water utilities are run by elected leaders, others aren’t.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

The people most at risk aren't necessarily those in jobs most threatened by AI, but rather the people who are least able to adapt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

"The infants that aren't being cared for where the deaths are taking place are disproportionately those that aren't desirable for adoption," it finds.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Catching SpaceX isn’t easy, but Amazon, Blue Origin, and Jeff Bezos aren’t giving up.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

‘But Karly and I aren’t really friends any more.’

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler