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cannot
[ kan-ot, ka-not, kuh- ]
/ ˈkæn ɒt, kæˈnɒt, kə- /
See the most commonly confused word associated with can't
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verb
a form of can not.
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Idioms about cannot
cannot but, have no alternative but to: We cannot but choose otherwise.
Origin of cannot
A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
usage note for cannot
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.
Words nearby cannot
cannonball tree, cannon bone, cannoneer, cannon fodder, cannonry, cannot, cannula, cannular, cannulate, canny, Canoas
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cannot in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for cannot
cannot
/ (ˈkænɒt, kæˈnɒt) /
verb
an auxiliary verb expressing incapacity, inability, withholding permission, etc; can not
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with cannot
cannot
see under can't.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.