don't

American  

[dohnt] / doʊnt /

verb

1. contraction of do not.

2. Nonstandard except in some dialects. contraction of does not.

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noun

1. don'ts, customs, rules, or regulations that forbid something.

   The boss has a long list of don'ts that you had better observe if you want a promotion.

don't British  

/ dəʊnt /

contraction

1. do not

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Etymology

Origin of don't

First recorded in 1600–10

Compare meaning

How does dont compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• don't vs. doesn't

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

don't

"The price of a fake shirt, you don't know what you're funding with that money."

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

While HSA balances can be invested, 40% of Americans don’t invest those funds, leaving the potential for growth on the table, Fidelity said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

“Clean up after yourself, maybe clean up after one another, and don’t take anything home with you that you didn’t bring,” Tucker said when asked what she’d say to the park’s visitors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

But those efforts don’t seem to have caught on.

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

Each group is given a secret code, though they don’t know what it means or what it’s for.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly