cannot

American  

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

verb

1. a form of can not.

---

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

---

cannot More Idioms  

1. see under can't.

---

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

If you want consistency then you cannot have common sense too.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“The Church cannot remain silent when violence is justified in the name of security or when religious language is used to legitimize it,” saying that the church must “defend moral clarity.”

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

These p-nuclei cannot be produced through neutron capture.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

“We therefore cannot afford to turn a blind eye to global overcapacity reaching critical levels.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

I have no doubt that there will be more stories to tell, but what happens tomorrow or the day after, I cannot say for sure.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el