not

CEFRA1

/nɒt/

adverb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adverb

    Used to make a statement negative.

  2. 02

    adverb

    Extra detail

    To no degree.

Examples

  • I'll do my best not to disturb your studying.

  • Your essay does not address the real issues.

At a glance

Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
3

Also pronounced

  • [näʔ]

Deep Dive

adverb

Extra meanings

  1. Used to indicate the opposite or near opposite, often in a form of understatement.

  2. Negates the meaning of the modified verb.

  3. Used before a determiner phrase, a pronominal phrase etc. to convey a negative attitude (e.g. denial, sadness, anger) towards something.

More examples

In context

  • No I'm not; you are!

  • Did you take out the trash? — No, I did not. I do not think it was my turn, was it?

  • It was felt desirable that she not leave school before fourteen.

Synonyms

Quick test

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Nearby

Origin

adverb

From Middle English not, nat, a variant of noght, naht (“not, nothing”), from Old English *nōht, nāht (“nought, nothing”), shortening of nōwiht, nāwiht (“nothing”, literally “not anything”), from Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht, 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.