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

“Obviously, none of the kids know who he is,” the teacher said.

From Los Angeles Times

Ideally, the researchers would have struck out completely — none of the 156 orders delivered, given the state’s ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, and certainly none delivered by the Postal Service.

From Los Angeles Times

She said it would be comforting to know that she could have a "peaceful death when the time comes" so that "none of us would suffer".

From BBC

Voyager 2 found none, suggesting that Uranus and its five largest moons were sterile and inactive.

From BBC

Hartesh Battu, a doctor from Glasgow, has had six different smart meters, fitted by two energy suppliers, none of which have worked.

From BBC

Related Words

• no one
• nobody
• nothing