cannot
Use Cannot in a sentence
ɒt, kæˈnɒt, kə- verb
Idioms 1.
a form of ·can not.
2.
cannot but, have no alternative but to: We cannot but choose otherwise.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English
1350–1400; Middle English
Usage note
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. See also can1.
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. See also can1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To cannot
00:10
Cannot
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is kibitz. Does it mean:
| chat, to converse |
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
cannot (ˈkænɒt, kæˈnɒt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| an auxiliary verb expressing incapacity, inability, withholding permission, etc; can not | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
Today you cannot order a coffee, buy a bagel, or pay for a photocopy without being asked to leave your change behind for.
The skill of the forensic anthropologist cannot lessen the anguish of loss, but it can lessen the anguish of doubt.
People with wheat allergies can safely eat spelt as well as barley and rye, while those with celiac cannot.
Bats use echolocation to see in the dark, but unfortunately human scientists cannot do the same.
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