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

Missiles also aren’t 100% reliable.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the WHO’s failures aren’t happening in a vacuum.

From Salon

Perhaps he doesn’t like jeans or open-toed shoes, even if they aren’t officially banned.

From MarketWatch

The key to managing emotions around comments that aren’t productive — and, more importantly, aren’t about your actual work performance — is to separate who you are from what is being said about you, Williams says.

From MarketWatch

Los Angeles motorists and pedestrians aren’t the only ones who struggle to navigate torrential rain.

From Los Angeles Times