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
  • Rapper Eminem expressed his admiration and sorrow at never getting to meet her.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • No court ruling in 2027 can go back and produce the film that was never shot.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of never
Adverb
  • Strong El Niño events, such as the one revving up in the tropical Pacific, have rarely spared the Golden State from significant and damaging consequences.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Fast forward almost a year and lawmakers rarely reference the topic anymore.
    — Ali Swenson, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rarely
Adverb
  • However, he was seldom used at Georgia Tech in 2025, totaling only eight catches for 150 yards.
    — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Older women have seldom been included in randomized trials that evaluate the benefits of mammography screening on morbidity and mortality.
    — Kim Johnson, STAT, 25 Aug. 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 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All