cannot

American  

[kan-ot, ka-not, kuh-] / ˈkæn ɒt, kæˈnɒt, kə- /

verb

1. a form of can not.

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idioms

1. cannot but, have no alternative but to.

   We cannot but choose otherwise.

cannot British  

/ kæˈnɒt, ˈkænɒt /

verb

1. an auxiliary verb expressing incapacity, inability, withholding permission, etc; can not

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cannot More Idioms  

1. see under can't.

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Spelling

Cannot is sometimes also spelled can not. The one-word spelling is by far the more common: Interest rates simply cannot continue at their present level. The contraction can't is most common in speech and informal writing.

Etymology

Origin of cannot

A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Compare meaning

How does cannot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• can't vs. cannot

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cannot

Tesla delivered 22,141 more vehicles than it built in the third quarter, and selling cars from inventory releases cash that Tesla cannot keep drawing on indefinitely.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Truckers say they cannot compete with diesel rivals because electric rigs face higher operating costs and more charging downtime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

"We're getting people more healthy. People live longer. But we cannot just say 'this is fine' and then we don't have money left for the kids, so we need to rebalance that."

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

For too many Americans, fighting insurance companies can feel like a battle they cannot win.

From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026

“I cannot in any way imagine how these noises can be made by any human means,” said one resident.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock