not
not — adverb
1. used with auxiliary or linking verbs to change a statement into its opposite, de
used with auxiliary or linking verbs to change a statement into its opposite, denying that something is true, happens, or was done.
The public library does not open on Sundays or public holidays.
auxiliary 'does' + not for present simple denial
Mira cannot come to the party because she is sick.
cannot = can + not expressing inability
Reuben has not finished his maths homework yet, so he stayed up late.
has not = present perfect negative
It was not raining when we left the house this morning.
You must not touch the wet paint on the bench.
- do not
- cannot
- will not
- is not
- must not
- have not
Grammar Patterns
auxiliary verb + not + main verb
auxiliary verb + n't + main verb
Usage Note
In spoken English, 'not' is almost always contracted to 'n't' attached to the auxiliary verb (isn't, don't, won't, can't, haven't). One exception: the contraction 'amn't' is not standard in most varieties of English; use 'aren't' with 'I' in questions ('aren't I?').
Common Mistakes
2. placed directly before a specific expression to deny or exclude just that piece
placed directly before a specific expression to deny or exclude just that piece of a sentence, instead of turning the entire statement negative.
Not everyone in the class passed the test.
not + everyone — partial negation
The book was good, but not the best I have read.
Élise asked me to buy milk, not bread.
contrasting two alternatives with not
It was not a cat but a small dog that ran across the street.
It was Zuri who did the dishes last night, not Reuben.
- not all
- not every
- not necessarily
- not... but...
- not only
- no
used before a noun to mean 'not any' or 'not a' (no money vs. not any money)
Grammar Patterns
not + noun phrase
not + adjective
not + adverb
not + all / every / many / necessarily
Usage Note
When placed before 'all', 'every', 'both', or 'always', the negation is partial — the statement denies the universal claim but does not mean 'none'. 'Not all birds can fly' means some can and some cannot.
Common Mistakes
3. follows verbs such as 'hope', 'think', or 'be afraid' when a speaker gives a bri
follows verbs such as 'hope', 'think', or 'be afraid' when a speaker gives a brief negative response without restating the whole idea.
"Will it rain tomorrow?" "I hope not. We have a picnic planned."
I hope not — typical short reply
"Is Niran coming to the meeting?" "I am afraid not. He called to cancel."
I'm afraid not — polite negative reply
"Do you think Lara will win the race?" "I think not, because she hurt her ankle."
"Will the parcel arrive before Friday?" "I suppose not — the tracking shows it is still in transit."
I suppose not — reluctant negative reply
- hope not
- think not
- afraid not
- guess not
- suppose not
- so
used similarly in short affirmative replies: 'I think so', 'I hope so'
Grammar Patterns
I hope not
I'm afraid not
I think not
I guess not
I suppose not
Usage Note
'I hope not' and 'I'm afraid not' are common in everyday speech. 'I think not' and 'I believe not' are more formal. A bare 'Not' alone as a complete response is possible but sounds very clipped.
Common Mistakes
4. used to describe a situation or consequence that occurs when something else does
used to describe a situation or consequence that occurs when something else does not happen or is not true.
If you do not water the plants, they will die.
if + do not + verb → consequence
Call the doctor if the fever does not go down by tomorrow.
If not ready by seven, we can take a taxi instead of the bus.
if not + adjective — shortened conditional
Sivan will join us for dinner if she does not have to work late.
Take a coat with you if not for the rain, then for the cold wind.
- if not
- if... not
Grammar Patterns
if + subject + do/does/did + not + verb
if not (short form)
Usage Note
Commonly appears in conditional structures with 'if'. The subject can be omitted after 'if not' when the meaning is clear from context ('if ready' = 'if you are ready').
Common Mistakes
5. used to emphasise that the actual situation is even more extreme — greater, long
used to emphasise that the actual situation is even more extreme — greater, longer, more difficult, etc. — than the idea that was just mentioned.
The movie was not just good; it was the best I have seen all year.
not just... but even stronger — intensifying pattern
Lara did not finish the race on time; she broke the school record.
Vivek not only passed the exam but also earned the highest grade.
The queue was not hours long but days long for the concert tickets.
- not only... but also
- not just... but
- not merely... but
Grammar Patterns
not only... but also...
not just... but...
not... but rather...
not merely... but even...
Usage Note
This sense always pairs with a following clause that gives the stronger or more surprising fact. The structure is often 'not only... but also...' or 'not just... but...'. In 'not only' sentences, the auxiliary verb and subject can be inverted ('Not only did she finish, she won').
Common Mistakes
6. used with words like 'might', 'may', or 'perhaps' to show that something is poss
used with words like 'might', 'may', or 'perhaps' to show that something is possibly, but not certainly, not going to happen or be true.
The bus might not come because of the heavy snow.
might not — possibility of non-occurrence
Christopher may not know about the change in plans yet.
Perhaps the shop is not open on public holidays.
Eri could not have left already; her bag is still on the chair.
- might not
- may not
- perhaps not
- could not
- maybe
affirmative counterpart in expressions of possibility: 'maybe he will' vs. 'maybe he won't'
Grammar Patterns
might not
may not
could not
maybe... not
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1 (BASIC NEGATION): sense 1 states a definite denial ('He is not here'), while sense 6 suggests uncertainty ('He might not be here'). The difference is in the modal verb that accompanies 'not'.
Common Mistakes
7. appended to a spoken remark to indicate the speaker was only joking and does not
appended to a spoken remark to indicate the speaker was only joking and does not truly mean it.
Roya told everyone she absolutely loves washing dishes. Not!
colloquial retraction marker — informal only
That was a really brilliant idea you just had. Not!
I am so happy to wake up at five in the morning. Not!
Vivek says he loves getting up early on Saturdays. Not!
- statement + not!
- joking retraction
- just kidding
fuller and less ambiguous way to retract a statement
Grammar Patterns
statement + , not!
statement + ... not!
Usage Note
This usage is very informal and primarily used in casual conversation or text messages among friends. It became popular through 1990s American youth culture ('Wayne's World' style). Do not use in formal writing.
Common Mistakes
❌ Using this in formal or academic writing — it is strictly informal and may confuse non-native speakers unfamiliar with this joke pattern.
not a…
idiomUsed to emphasize that there is no thing or person of a particular kind.
I asked for help, but I got not a single reply.
Did you see any birds? Not a one flew by.
not at all
idiomA polite way to accept thanks or to agree to a request.
“Thank you for your help.” “Not at all, it was my pleasure.”
“May I sit here?” “Not at all, please do.”
Used to show that something else is also true, in addition to what has been said.
Not only did she finish the race, but she also set a new record.
He not only speaks French but also writes it fluently.
not that
idiomUsed to say that you are not suggesting or implying something.
I'm not going to the party, not that I was invited anyway.
She didn't call me back, not that I expected her to.
not — noun
1. an operation in computer science and formal logic that takes a single input and
an operation in computer science and formal logic that takes a single input and produces the opposite value — turning true into false and false into true.
A NOT gate changes a 1 to a 0 and a 0 to a 1.
NOT gate — hardware logic circuit
Inês used the NOT operator to find pages that do not contain the word.
NOT operator — software search context
The logic table for NOT shows that true becomes false.
A NOT condition in a search finds everything that does not match.
- NOT gate
- NOT operator
- NOT function
- logical NOT
Grammar Patterns
NOT gate
NOT operator
Usage Note
This is a technical term used in computing, electronics, and mathematics. In everyday English, 'not' is always the adverb (see the senses above). The noun form appears only in specialised contexts when referring to the logic operation itself.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adverb/1
'Not' is the basic negation adverb in English, used to flip a verb, phrase, or clause to its opposite meaning. 'No' functions differently: it answers a yes-no question directly ('No, I do not'), or negates a noun directly ('no time', 'no money'), while 'not' needs a determiner ('not any time'). 'Never' means 'at no time' and is stronger — 'I never eat meat' means at no point in my life, whereas 'I do not eat meat' could mean just for now. 'None' replaces 'not one' or 'not any' as a pronoun ('None of the students were late'). Choose 'not' for general negation of a verb or phrase; pick 'no' before a noun or as a one-word answer; use 'never' for absolute, across-all-time denial; and 'none' when referring back to a group of things.
Common collocations
Adverbs
- certainly not
- definitely not
- absolutely not
- simply not
- not quite
- not really
- not yet
Phrases
- not at all
- not only... but also
- not to mention
- not that
- not necessarily
- not exactly
Prepositions
- not without
- not until
- not since
Etymology
The word 'not' comes from Old English 'nāwiht', a combination of 'nā' (meaning 'no') and 'wiht' (meaning 'thing' or 'creature'). This compound literally meant 'no thing'. Over time, 'nāwiht' was shortened first to 'nōht' in Middle English, and then to 'not' in Modern English. The contracted form 'n't' (as in don't, can't, won't) comes from this same shortening process. The word is related to 'naught' and 'nought' (meaning 'nothing'), which come from the same root.