not

adverb

Definition of notnext
as in never
in no way or under no circumstances The food was so burnt that it was not edible.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for not
  1. never
  2. rarely
  3. seldom
Adverb
  • This great, once improbable, step into the unknown has the potential to bring tests against Milan, Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen, and nights like never before at the Stadium of Light.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Although Iran hasn't focused in recent years on the decree, it was never rescinded.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Definition of never
Adverb
  • Nearly everyone knows someone with a disability, yet that familiarity rarely translates into investment, in part because some funders still assume the community is too small to warrant a dedicated strategy.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Modi, who rarely responds to criticism, has not publicly responded to the protesters’ demands.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of rarely
Adverb
  • This has become the custom for WWE over the past several years, with the company typically cutting lose seldom used mid and lower card performers.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Nearly every work in the exhibition is on loan from collectors, artists, and institutions, giving visitors a chance to experience paintings that are seldom exhibited together.
    — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of seldom
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Phrases Containing not

Browse Nearby Words

nosy
not
notabilities
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Not.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/not. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on not

Nglish: Translation of not for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All