Usage of Don't
Don't is the earliest attested contraction of does not and until about 1900 was the standard spoken form in the U.S. (it survived as spoken standard longer in British English). Dialect surveys find it more common in the speech of the less educated than in that of the educated; in those places (such as the Midland and southern Atlantic seaboard regions) where it has lasted in educated speech, it is most common with older informants. Surveys of attitudes toward usage show it more widely disapproved in 1971 than it had been 40 years earlier. Its chief use in edited prose is in fiction for purposes of characterization. It is sometimes used consciously, like ain't, to gain an informal effect.
Examples of don't in a Sentence
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
Carias, who works out of CHP's Central Division office in Fresno, Calif., shares his top road safety do's and don'ts.
1.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
So what are the dos and don'ts when attending the prestigious annual golf event?
—Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Here are some basic dos and don'ts when owning a cat.
—Molly Higgins, Wired News, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for don't
Cite this Entry
“Don't.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/don%27t. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share