have-not

American  

[hav-not, -not] / ˈhævˌnɒt, -ˈnɒt /

noun

1. Usually have-nots. an individual or group that is without wealth, social position, or other material benefits (contrasted with have).

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have-not British  

noun

1. (usually plural) a person or group of people in possession of relatively little material wealth

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Etymology

Origin of have-not

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

have-not

In contrast, the House bill avoids any mandatory set-asides, instead creating new programs that target institutions in those have-not states.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 3, 2022

Eventually — I’m hoping around April or May — we’ll lose interest in who’s a have-shot and who’s a have-not.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2021

Yet even in a 2019 season in which TV viewership is on the upswing, there is a big disparity between a handful of have and have-not teams.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 23, 2019

In the have-not camp, they warn, will be university labs, which have traditionally been a wellspring of innovations that eventually power new products and services.

From New York Times ● Sep. 26, 2019

A knight with a silver suit of armour would immediately call himself a have-not, if he met a knight with a golden one.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White