none

¹

[ nuhn ]

pronoun

1. not one:

   None of the members is going.

2. not any, as of something indicated:

   None of the pie is left. That is none of your business.

3. no part; nothing:

   I'll have none of your backtalk!

4. (used with a plural verb) no or not any persons or things:

   I left three pies on the table and now there are none. None were left when I came.

adverb

1. to no extent; in no way; not at all:

   The supply is none too great.

adjective

1. Archaic. not any; no (usually used only before a vowel or h ):

   Thou shalt have none other gods but me.

none

²

[ nohn ]

noun

1. nones ¹.

none

¹

/ nʌn /

pronoun

1. not any of a particular class

   none of my letters has arrived

2. no-one; nobody

   there was none to tell the tale

3. no part (of a whole); not any (of)

   none of it looks edible

4. none other
   no other person

   none other than the Queen herself

5. none the
   foll by a comparative adjective in no degree

   she was none the worse for her ordeal

6. none too
   not very

   he was none too pleased with his car

none

²

/ nəʊn /

noun

1. another word for nones

Usage

None is a singular pronoun and should be used with a singular form of a verb: none of the students has (not have ) a car

Grammar Note

Since none has the meanings “not one” and “not any,” some insist that it always be treated as a singular and be followed by a singular verb: The rescue party searched for survivors, but none was found. However, none has been used with both singular and plural verbs since the 9th century. When the sense is “not any persons or things” (as in the example above), the plural is more common: … none were found. Only when none is clearly intended to mean “not one” or “not any” is it followed by a singular verb: Of all my articles, none has received more acclaim than my latest one.

Word History and Origins

Origin of none¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English non, Old English nān, equivalent to ne “not” + ān “one”; one

Origin of none²

1175–1225; Middle English; Old English nōn < Latin nōna ( hōra ) ninth (hour). See noon

Word History and Origins

Origin of none¹

Old English nān, literally: not one

Idioms and Phrases

• all (none) of the above
• bar none
• not have it (have none of)
• second to none

Example Sentences

Virtually none of the people the president-elect is choosing to lead the various departments have any qualifications for the jobs he's putting them into and little or no management experience of any kind.

From Salon

“I feel confident that none of the 3 jurors with whom I spoke/met reported our interaction to Judge Olmedo as harassing or improper.”

From Los Angeles Times

They all work hard, they're all capable of playing their part in creating chances for the midfielders, but none of them scored in the Nations League.

From BBC

If you look at it one way, it has been their most successful under the regulations that were introduced in 2022 - they have won three races, having won one in 2022 and none last year.

From BBC

Cease-fire talks have all but fallen apart, and U.S. officials acknowledge none are taking place now, while Qatar, a key mediator, has withdrawn from the process.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• no one
• nobody
• nothing