cannot

American

[kan-ot, ka-not, kuh-] / ˈkæn ɒt, kæˈnɒt, kə- /

verb

a form of can not.

idioms

cannot but, have no alternative but to.

We cannot but choose otherwise.

cannot British

/ kæˈnɒt, ˈkænɒt /

verb

an auxiliary verb expressing incapacity, inability, withholding permission, etc; can not

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cannot More Idioms

see under can't.

Spelling

Cannot is sometimes also spelled can not. The one-word spelling is by far the more common: Interest rates simply cannot continue at their present level. The contraction can't is most common in speech and informal writing.

Etymology

Origin of cannot

A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Compare meaning

How does cannot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

can't vs. cannot

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was at that moment that Alexandra, who cannot swim, decided to climb down a ladder on the water's edge to try and rescue Snickers.

From BBC

Some patients, however, cannot afford to continue privately for specialist care, so she refers back into the NHS.

From BBC

"If you cannot stockpile material that is enriched then there is no way you can actually create a bomb," Albusaidi told CBS's "Face the Nation."

From Barron's

“I have been saying that the Americans cannot be trusted,” he said in 2018.

From The Wall Street Journal

I cannot see Hearts losing three or four games.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023