cannot

[kan-ot, ka-not, kuh-]

verb

1. a form of can not.

cannot

/ kæˈnɒt, ˈkænɒt /

verb

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

Spelling Note

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cannot¹

A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cannot but, have no alternative but to.

   We cannot but choose otherwise.

see under can't.

Example Sentences

We cannot rely on platforms to self-regulate when their core business model favors growth and engagement over transparency and safety.

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If the crisis threshold—the floor below which families cannot function—is honestly updated to current spending patterns, it lands at $140,000,” said Green.

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But Mr James said "inclusive leadership and teaching" cannot be done without additional funding for mainstream schools.

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“But this possibility cannot be ruled out entirely,” its analysts acknowledge.

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But you cannot simply ask the subject of your cover story what has made her the current cinema’s rawest nerve.

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