not — used to negate or deny a statement
Part of speech: ADVERB
Definition: used to negate or deny a statement
Pronunciation (IPA): /nɑːt/
Example Sentences
- I'm not a robot, but I sometimes beep when I'm hungry.
- She's not coming to the party tonight.
- This pizza is not bad, it's absolutely terrible!
not
ADVERB[/nɑːt/]
used to negate or deny a statement
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'not' derives from Old English 'naught', meaning 'nothing' or 'not anything'. Through phonetic reduction and semantic narrowing over centuries, the negation sense became dominant, evolving into the modern adverb 'not'.
Breakdown
Old English 'naught' (ne + aught, literally 'not anything') was contracted and phonetically reduced to 'not', where the negation particle 'ne-' fused with 'aught' (meaning 'anything' or 'a thing').
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“I'm not a robot, but I sometimes beep when I'm hungry.”
“She's not coming to the party tonight.”
“This pizza is not bad, it's absolutely terrible!”
“Do not touch the wet paint.”
📚Related Words
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