not
- particle
- /nɑt/
- You are not allowed to enter without a ticket.
- not only
- not necessarily
- not just
Right now, and Russia is not a small threat.
- Right now, and Russia is not a small threat.
- And when it ends, there will not be Trump.
- It doesn't feel good, and it's not good for you.
- But it is just like it just did not develop right.
Examples
-
The structural trends affecting the U.S. economy cannot be explained by changes in technology alone.
Academic text (2011) -
And so, you know, this is not a bluff.
-
And there are things we're not seeing, Right.
-
Right now, and Russia is not a small threat.
-
And if it's not OK, it's not the end.
-
Is there nothing you would not consider a game, sir?
-
I told you... I'm not a kid anymore.
-
So I'm mad, but I'm not that mad.
-
So, in the end, it's not really anyone's fault.
-
While soldiers received military pay, most did not live on just their meager army income.
Academic text (2011)
Idioms
To not be able to think clearly because you are very tired, angry, or confused
- Informal
Used to describe something very different from older versions and much more modern
- Formal
Prepared while someone speaks the words and not checked by the writer, often containing mistakes
- Informal
You are in a situation that feels strange and very different from what is usual
- Offensive
A person who is not very quick to understand things
- Informal
A joking way to show someone refuses to accept the truth
A slogan saying relationships should be only between a man and a woman, often used to oppose same-sex marriage
Saying a software problem is made on purpose, often as a joke
- Texting
A phrase that says you should not use another culture's clothes or symbols as a costume
Compounds
- Formal
A court or jury finds someone did not commit the crime they were charged with
- Specialized
A plant with seed pods that burst when you touch them and release seeds
- South African
A plant from southern Africa with bright blue flowers often grown in gardens
A small plant often grown in gardens with tiny blue, purple, or white flowers
- Informal
A joking name for a woman whose real name people avoid saying
Surface Forms
Etymology
Not comes from old English negative words and became a short form of no used inside a sentence to deny or refuse something. So, not means 'no' or 'not this', which is why we use it to make a word or sentence negative.