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NOT

NOT

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Description

Use this function to reverse the logic of an argument. It returns TRUE if the argument is FALSE, and FALSE if the argument is TRUE. Supported in Chains. 

 

Syntax

NOT(logical)

 

Inputs

This function accepts the following argument:

Name Required Description Valid input
logical Yes A value or expression that can be evaluated to TRUE or FALSE. A cell reference, a logical value (TRUE or FALSE), a number (0 is FALSE, other numbers are TRUE), or a formula which results in any of these.  

 

Examples

Sample data

  A B
1 TRUE 5
2 FALSE 0
3 10 20
4 Apple Banana

Sample formulas

Use case Formula Explanation and Result
Invert a logical value (TRUE to FALSE, or FALSE to TRUE). =NOT(A1)

This formula works in the following manner:

  • NOT(: This is the function itself.
  • A1: The argument is the logical value in A1 (TRUE).
  • The function returns the opposite logical value of its argument.

For this data set this formula returns FALSE.
Invert a logical value (TRUE to FALSE, or FALSE to TRUE). =NOT(A2)

This formula works in the following manner:

  • NOT(: This is the function itself.
  • A2: The argument is the logical value in A2 (FALSE).
  • The function returns the opposite logical value of its argument.

For this data set this formula returns TRUE.
Check if a value is NOT greater than a specific number. =NOT(B1>10)

This formula works in the following manner:

  • B1>10: The inner logical test (5 > 10) is evaluated first, resulting in FALSE.
  • NOT(...): The NOT function takes the result of the inner test (FALSE) and returns its opposite.

For this data set this formula returns TRUE.
Check if two values are NOT equal. =NOT(A3=B3)

This formula works in the following manner:

  • A3=B3: The inner logical test (10 = 20) is evaluated first, resulting in FALSE.
  • NOT(...): The NOT function takes the result of the inner test (FALSE) and returns its opposite.

For this data set this formula returns TRUE.
Check if a cell does NOT contain numbers. =NOT(ISNUMBER(A4))

This formula works in the following manner:

  • ISNUMBER(A4): The inner function checks if A4 ("Apple") is a number. This evaluates to FALSE.
  • NOT(...): The NOT function takes the result of the ISNUMBER function (FALSE) and returns its opposite.

For this data set this formula returns TRUE.

 

Notes

  • This function is often used in combination with other logical functions, such as AND, OR, and IF.
  • When used with non-boolean values, NOT converts its argument to a boolean before negating it.
  • NOT(0) returns TRUE, while NOT of any other number returns FALSE.
  • NOT("FALSE") returns FALSE because the text "FALSE" is considered TRUE.

 

Tips

  • Use NOT to invert complex conditions, making them easier to understand.
  • Combine NOT with comparison operators to create "not equal to" conditions. For example: NOT(A1=B1) is equivalent to A1<>B1.
  • When using NOT with other logical functions, be aware of De Morgan's laws for simplifying complex logical expressions.
  • NOT can be used to check for non-blank cells; for example: NOT(ISBLANK(A1)).
  • In conditional formatting, NOT can be useful for highlighting cells that don't meet certain criteria.

 

Related functions

AND
CHOOSE
IF
IFERROR
IFNA
IFS
NOT
OR

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Description Use this function to reverse the logic of an argument. It returns TRUE if the argument is FALSE, and FALS...