# an't

/ˈænt/ (US) · /ˈænt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ant
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to be not

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Dialect · Literary

an old way to say 'am not', 'is not', or 'are not'.

For teachers: a contraction of 'am not', 'is not', or 'are not', widely used in 18th-century literature but now restricted to specific dialects.

- It an't right to leave him all alone in the cold.
- The protagonist in the Victorian novel remarked that he an't going to be treated like a common criminal any longer.

Usage: Used as a negative contraction for all persons of the verb 'to be'.

### 2. to have not

verb · CEFR C2 · Dialect · Archaic

a regional way to say 'have not' or 'has not'.

For teachers: a dialectal contraction for 'have not' or 'has not', primarily found in Northern English and certain American dialects.

- I an't got any money left for the bus fare.
- In the regional play, the farmer complained that he an't seen a drop of rain for three months.

Usage: Functions as a negative auxiliary verb for 'have' in specific regional speech patterns.

## Examples

- There is not even an an't of truth in his story.
- The laboratory equipment was sensitive enough to detect an an't of the chemical in the water supply.
- While the overall structure remained intact, an an't of structural decay was visible upon closer inspection of the ancient stone foundations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.