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

See Examples For:

aren't

“The young people aren’t afraid, and they are the engine of our democracy,” said Nataliia Shapoval, head of the KSE Institute think tank in Kyiv.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

But things aren’t hopeless, and we’re not powerless.

From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026

Kelly said: "There are options and emerging treatments that give families hope, but they aren't always available here in the UK. That's incredibly frustrating."

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Since you aren’t building ownership in the asset that you are leasing, your agreement comes with fundamentally different protections and fees.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Impromptu visits from Theo aren’t unusual, but it’s barely six o’clock in the morning and I know his first class doesn’t start until half past eight.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse