don't

American

[dohnt] / doʊnt /

verb

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

noun

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

do 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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This doesn’t mean we don’t love a luck dragon.

From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026

"You don't plan on going through something like this together in a professional environment," Stokes said.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Animals of the same species don’t always look the same.

From Science Daily • Jun. 24, 2026

This should appeal to institutional investors who like options strategies that don’t cost money.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

He’s been fluffing pillows that don’t need to be fluffed, sweeping parts of the house that were already clean, and rearranging the knickknacks he already arranged moments before.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023