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not

not

∞ 1.0
To show that a word, sentence, or idea is false
  • particle
  • /nɑt/
: no
  • You are not allowed to enter without a ticket.
  • not only
  • not necessarily
  • not just

Right now, and Russia is not a small threat.

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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

∞ 1.0

In no way

∞ 2.4

Say yes to an idea or suggestion because there is no good reason not to

not bad
  • Informal
938 3.0

Better than expected and quite good

502 3.7

Shows that something is even more important than what was just said

460 2.9

Saying something may be even more true than first said

225 4.4

Say this before a surprising fact that is hard to accept

not so fast
  • Informal
82 5.8

Tell someone to slow down when they act too quickly

Not allowed by rules and not good enough for standards

Introduce the last person or thing and show they are equally important

52 2.6

Happens most of the time

Not at all, not even a little bit

21 7.9

Showing a particular quality very strongly

18 8.3

A phrase that shows the next thing you say is honest

not hardly
  • Informal
11 8.8

Not true at all

10 4.0

Other people also feel the same way

words, not mine
  • Informal
10 8.6

Something someone else says that you do not agree with

not half bad
  • Informal
8 7.4

Better than you expected

Almost nothing of value

7 7.2

An unpleasant scene that shocks people

not an ounce of
  • Informal
6 4.9

There is not even a tiny bit of something

not on your life
  • Informal
5 7.8

Say it to show you will never do something

did not
  • Informal
5 1.0

A short strong reply that says something is not true

4 7.7

A real emergency, not a practice or test

4 6.7

To never do something, no matter what happens

4 4.8

A long process that needs steady effort, not quick work

4 9.6

Used to describe something very different from older versions and much more modern

3 9.1

Showing poor judgment or not thinking clearly

do not pass go
  • Informal
3 9.1

To refuse someone any further chance and make them leave immediately

Saying you repeat someone else's words to show you do not agree

Likely to die or stop existing soon

Use things carefully so you do not run out later

2 9.9

You are in a situation that feels strange and very different from what is usual

2 5.9

Happens just in time before it is too late

Feeling a little unwell and not your usual self

2 9.6

Saying this shows you are serious and not joking

why not both
  • Informal
2 5.4

Suggest choosing both options instead of one

1 9.9

Unfair behaviour that breaks accepted rules or standards

not collect $200
  • Informal
1 9.8

You cannot get money or a reward you expected

Able to get better after a setback

Not very quick to understand things

To not be able to think clearly because you are very tired, angry, or confused

1 8.1

Not easy to find or get

not a bit of it
  • Informal
1 8.1

Not true at all

1 9.9

So flawed and unclear that people cannot decide if it is true or false

1 5.0

Not sleep at all during the night

not a farthing
  • Archaic
1 9.9

No money at all

A slogan saying relationships should be only between a man and a woman, often used to oppose same-sex marriage

who should not
  • Informal
1 9.9

You say this after praising yourself to seem modest or unsure

1 8.8

A refusal to use ideas or products made outside your group

1 9.6

Has no value and is useless to anyone

not worth a dime
  • Informal
1 6.2

Of no value or use

A person who is not very quick to understand things

Compounds

not guilty
  • Formal
305 3.2

A court or jury finds someone did not commit the crime they were charged with

An organization that does not aim to make money and helps the community

16 7.3

A person who has little money and few things

A small plant with bright blue or white flowers that comes back every year

touch-me-not
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A plant with seed pods that burst when you touch them and release seeds

A small plant that lives for two years and makes bright blue flowers

cape forget-me-not
  • South African
8.9

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

touch-me-not
  • Specialized
9.5

A plant with leaves that fold together when you touch them

A joking name for a woman whose real name people avoid saying

Surface Forms

not main

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.