not

[ not ]

/ nɒt /

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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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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

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

not a bad sort
not a bit
not able
not about to
not a Chinaman's chance
not a hope in hell
not a leg to stand on
not a living soul
not all it's cracked up to be
not all that
not all there
not anything like
not at all
not bad
not bat an eye
not be caught dead
not born yesterday
not breathe a word
not built that way
not by a long shot
not by any means
not cricket
not done
not enough room to swing a cat
not feel oneself
not for all the tea in China
not for a moment
not for love or money
not give a damn
not give someone the time of day
not half bad
not have a bean
not have a clue
not have an earthly chance
not have anything on
not have it
not have one's heart in it
not have the heart to
not having any
not hurt a fly
not if one can help it
not if you paid me
not in the least
not know beans
not know enough to come in out of the rain
not know someone from Adam
not know where to turn
not know whether one is coming or going
not let the grass grow under one's feet
not lift a finger
not miss a trick
not move a muscle
not my cup of tea
not one iota
not one's day, this is
not oneself
not on your life
not open one's mouth
not put something past someone
not right in the head
not see beyond one's nose
not suffer fools gladly
not take no for answer
not the half of it
not the only fish in the sea
not think much of
not to be sneezed at
not to mention
not touch with a ten-foot pole
not to worry
not turn a hair
not up to
not worth a damn

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.