none

¹ American  

[nuhn] / nʌn /

pronoun

1. not one.

   None of the members is going.

2. not any, as of something indicated.

   None of the pie is left. That is none of your business.

3. no part; nothing.

   I'll have none of your backtalk!

4. (used with a plural verb)  no or not any persons or things.

   I left three pies on the table and now there are none. None were left when I came.

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adverb

1. to no extent; in no way; not at all.

   The supply is none too great.

adjective

1. Archaic.  not any; no (usually used only before a vowel orh ).

   Thou shalt have none other gods but me.

none ² American  

[nohn] / noʊn /

noun

1. nones.

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none ¹ British  

/ nʌn /

pronoun

1. not any of a particular class

   none of my letters has arrived

2. no-one; nobody

   there was none to tell the tale

3. no part (of a whole); not any (of)

   none of it looks edible

4. no other person

   none other than the Queen herself

5. (foll by a comparative adjective) in no degree

   she was none the worse for her ordeal

6. not very

   he was none too pleased with his car

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none ² British  

/ nəʊn /

noun

1. another word for nones

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none Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing none

• all (none) of the above
• bar none
• not have it (have none of)
• second to none

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Grammar

Since none has the meanings “not one” and “not any,” some insist that it always be treated as a singular and be followed by a singular verb: The rescue party searched for survivors, but none was found. However, none has been used with both singular and plural verbs since the 9th century. When the sense is “not any persons or things” (as in the example above), the plural is more common: … none were found. Only when none is clearly intended to mean “not one” or “not any” is it followed by a singular verb: Of all my articles, none has received more acclaim than my latest one.

Usage

None is a singular pronoun and should be used with a singular form of a verb: none of the students has (not have ) a car

Etymology

Origin of none¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English non, Old English nān, equivalent to ne “not” + ān “one”; one

Origin of none²

1175–1225; Middle English; Old English nōn < Latin nōna ( hōra ) ninth (hour). See noon

Example Sentences

“Doctors took an oath to help, not hinder a person. Who a person is is none of your business,” contended Kathy Stomber.

From Salon

Just two rate it at Hold, and none at Sell.

From Barron's

And none of that can be sorted until the terms of their employment are confirmed.

From BBC

Northern said none of its services were currently running through Leeds while TransPennine Express said lines between Manchester Victoria and York via Leeds had been closed.

From BBC

"The new fossil shows almost none of what we expected," said Dan Marke, who led the study as part of his MSc in Palaeobiology at Bristol.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• no one
• nobody
• nothing