not

adverb

1. 1

   Negates the meaning of the modified verb.

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

   Not knowing any better, I went ahead.

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

   I'd rather MoM (did) not stay, cuz the best thing about a holiday is not working.

2. 2

   To no degree.

   That is not red; it's green.

   It's not you, it's me.

   Expectation: Everybody in the family has to love everybody else. Reaction: Not the ghost of Christmas past, present, or future could pull this one off unless feeling is already there.

3. 3

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

   That day was not the best day of my life. (meaning the day was bad or awful)

   It was not my favorite movie of all time. (meaning the speaker dislikes or strongly dislikes the movie)

   After not a few threats, they got what they’d been after for so long.

   In the not too distant future my view on the matter might be not a million miles away from yours.

4. 4

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

   Oh god, not that! Anything but that!

   Not another rainy day!

5. 5

   informalUsed before a non-finite clause (especially a gerund-participial clause) or less commonly a determiner phrase to ironically convey some attitude (e.g. surprise, incredulity, amusement, embarrassment) towards something.

   Not me writing example sentences again.

   Not me crying by the end of that!! You are a brilliant, beautiful human who deserves no less than the world. Thank you for taking the time to watch unicorn store. It’s a film that means so much to me.

   [Keke] Palmer tells Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager to “mind y'all's business” when they ask about her relationship with [Darius] Jackson. ¶ “Not y’all trying to get into it! They trying it on the Today show,” Palmer joked when the subject was first brought up on Today With Hoda & Jenna.

conjunction

1. 1

   And not.

   I wanted a plate of shrimp, not a bucket of chicken.

   He painted the car blue and black, not solid purple.

   We can't run this bar without her. Not and raise two kids.

interjection

1. 1

   slangUsed to indicate that the previous phrase was meant sarcastically or ironically.

   Near-synonyms: I don't think; psych; bender (obsolete, UK)

   I really like hanging out with my little brother watching Barney … not!

   Sure, you’re perfect the way you are … not!

   You've got a swell chance to make this [baseball] team, you have, not! Third base is my job, Freshie. Why, you tow-head, you couldn't play marbles. You butter-finger, can't you stop anything?

noun

1. 1

   An instance of using the word “not”; a negation or denial.

   The children are taught to be afraid of winter, of war, of death, of hard times, of disease, of examinations. Perhaps that is one of the reasons that children so seldom find the conversation of their elders uplifting. It is full of don’ts, buts and nots.

2. 2

   Variant of NOTAlternative letter-case form of NOT (“unary operation on logical values that changes true to false, and false to true”).

Forms

plural

nots