verb
cannot
KA-not
verb
1
Unable to; not able to.
"I cannot attend the meeting on Friday."
2
Not permitted or allowed to.
"You cannot park here between 8 and 6."
How to Use Cannot
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe negative form of "can" — either being unable to do something or not being allowed to.
Common mistake
"Cannot" is usually written as one word in formal English, though "can not" is also acceptable when you want to emphasize the "not."
Common pairings
cannot afford
cannot help
simply cannot
Word Forms
cannots plural
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I _____ attend the meeting on Friday.