# hasn't

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hasnt
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. auxiliary / helping verb

verb · CEFR A1

the short way to say 'has not' when talking about an action that happened recently or is still true.

For teachers: the contracted form of 'has not' used as an auxiliary verb in the present perfect tense.

- She hasn't finished her homework yet, so she can't go out.
- The research team hasn't yet published the full results of the clinical trial, despite significant pressure from the medical community.

Usage: Used with the past participle of a main verb to form the negative present perfect.

Teaching tip: Remind students that this contraction is standard in speech and informal writing, but 'has not' is preferred in formal academic contexts.

### 2. possession

verb · CEFR A2 · British English

the short way to say 'does not have' or 'has not got'.

For teachers: the contracted negative form of the lexical verb 'have' indicating possession or relationship.

- He hasn't a clue what to do next.
- The old house hasn't the charm it once possessed before the modern renovations were completed.

Usage: In American English, 'doesn't have' is much more common than 'hasn't' for possession.

Teaching tip: In modern usage, 'hasn't' for possession is often followed by 'got' (e.g., 'He hasn't got a car'). Using 'hasn't' alone for possession sounds very traditional or British.

## Examples

- He hasn't finished his homework yet.
- The manager hasn't responded to my email, so I am still waiting for the final approval.
- While the project shows great promise, the team hasn't yet secured the necessary funding to move into the production phase, which may delay the launch by several months.

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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.