cannot

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

verb

a form of ·can not.

Idioms for cannot

    cannot but, have no alternative but to: We cannot but choose otherwise.

Origin of cannot

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

usage note for cannot

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.

British Dictionary definitions for cannot

cannot
/ (ˈkænɒt, kæˈnɒt) /

verb

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

Idioms and Phrases with cannot

cannot

see under can't.