aren't
American-
contraction of are not.
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contraction of am not (used interrogatively).
contraction
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are not
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informal (used in interrogative sentences) am not
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Miners grumble that governments aren’t doing enough to encourage Western industry to make the shift away from Chinese minerals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
The country's National Congress, for example, adjusts its schedule around match times: sessions aren't held during games, and working hours are shortened so people can watch.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Still, at least for now, the low inventories aren’t creating problems for U.S. oil producers and consumers, some experts say.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
Today, screwworm infestations aren’t a regular occurrence in the U.S., but cases have occurred in travelers returning from areas where the flies are present, according to the CDC.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Joey quickly realizes the people of Tala aren’t really living.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
