not

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Meaning

1. Negates the meaning of the modified verb.
2. To no degree.
3. Used to indicate the opposite or near opposite, often in a form of understatement.
4. Used before a noun phrase or pronominal phrase to denote an aversion to its presence or occurrence.
5. (informal) Used before a determiner phrase or a non-finite clause (especially a gerund-participial clause) to convey some attitude (such as surprise, criticism, or embarrassment) towards someone or something, without conveying negation.

🙅

don’t

negative particle

do not

doesn’t

won’t you

not available

not present

un-

negative prefix

even not

not also

like a hole in the head

like a hole in one’s head

of necessity

there is not

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/nɒt/

From Middle English not, nat, variant of noght, naht (“not, nothing”), from Old English *nōht, nāht (“nought, nothing”), short for nōwiht, nāwiht (“nothing”, literally “not anything”), corresponding to ne (“not”) + ōwiht, āwiht (“anything”), corresponding to ā (“ever, always”) + wiht (“thing, creature”). Cognate with Scots nat, naucht (“not”), Saterland Frisian nit (“not”), West Frisian net (“not”), Dutch niet (“not”), German nicht (“not”). Compare nought, naught and aught. More at no, wight, whit.