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not

[ not ]

/ nɒt /

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See synonyms for not on Thesaurus.com

adverb

(used to express negation, denial, refusal, or prohibition): You must not do that. It's not far from here.

U.S. Slang. (used jocularly as a postpositive interjection to indicate that a previous statement is untrue): I just love working overtime without pay. Not!

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

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Idioms about not

not so much, Informal. (an expression of dismissive scorn, ambivalence, or skepticism): Attractive? Yes. Smart? Not so much.Is the world coming to an end? Yeah, not so much.

Origin of not

1275–1325; Middle English; weak variant of nought

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH not

knot, not

Words nearby not

nostrum, no such thing, no-sweat, nosy, Nosy Parker, not, NOTA, not a bad sort, nota bene, notabilia, notability

Other definitions for not (2 of 3)

NOT

[ not ]

/ nɒt /

noun

a Boolean operator that returns a positive result if its operand is negative and a negative result if its operand is positive.

Other definitions for not (3 of 3)

not-

variant of noto- before a vowel.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use not in a sentence

“Gently rolling hills” roll not-so-gently under my tires, but the English countryside scenery is soporific.
Biking With the Bard|Kara Cutruzzula|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was promoted on what might be called not-quite-mainstream or, indeed, axe-to-grind media.
Dutch Biker Gangs Vs. ISIS|Nadette De Visser, Christopher Dickey|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the not-too-distant future, the AMRAAM might also be out-ranged by new weapons that are being developed around the world.
Pentagon Worries That Russia Can Now Outshoot U.S. Stealth Jets|Dave Majumdar|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An autopsy found highly toxic cyanide levels in the blood of the not-so-dearly departed.
Beware of Japan’s “Black Widows”|Jake Adelstein|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And with each false alarm, the not-so-subtle panic continues, as Europe waits and wonders what happens next.
Europe’s Hidden Ebola Cases|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such throats are trying, are they not?In case one catches cold; Ah, yes!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
Consequently, while the direction of the what-not-how-now line is definitely fixed, their actual positions remain unestablished.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, May 16, 1917.|Various
We should in this case expect not-white rather than white, and so much rather, that we would lay two to one upon it.
A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive|John Stuart Mill
If T is a B in only six cases of every twelve, and a not-B in only one, what is it in the other five?
A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive|John Stuart Mill
Her silk parasol, of the blue of a forget-me-not, rested against her knee, and at her breast was a cream-tinted rose.
The Rake's Progress|Marjorie Bowen

British Dictionary definitions for not (1 of 2)

not

/ (nɒt) /

adverb

used to negate the sentence, phrase, or word that it modifiesI will not stand for it
(in combination)they cannot go

not that (conjunction) which is not to say or suppose thatI expect to lose the game — not that I mind Also (archaic): not but what

sentence substitute

used to indicate denial, negation, or refusalcertainly not

Word Origin for not

C14 not, variant of nought nothing, from Old English nāwiht, from nā no + wiht creature, thing. See naught, nought

British Dictionary definitions for not (2 of 2)

not-

combining form

a variant of noto-

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with not

not

In addition to the idioms beginning with not

also see:

all that glitters is not gold
(not) all there
(not) at all
believe it or not
caught dead, not be
(not a) Chinaman's chance
coming or going, not know if
do as I say (not as I do)
game is not worth the candle
heart (not) in it
hold one's breath, not
(not) in the least
(not) in the mood
it's (not) your funeral
last but not least
like as not
living soul, not a
mince matters, not to
more often than not
(not) move a muscle
no problem (not to worry)
(not to) sneeze at
(not) take no for an answer
(not) the half of it
(not) turn a hair
two wrongs do not make a right
waste not, want not
whether or not
without a (not a) leg to stand on
won't (will not) hear of

For verbal phrases also see undercan'tcouldn'twouldn't.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.