The NOT function in Excel
NOT takes one condition and flips it: TRUE becomes FALSE and FALSE becomes TRUE. Use it when it is easier to describe what you do not want, such as orders that are not paid or items that are not in stock.
NOT is often combined with IF, AND and OR to build more readable tests.
Syntax
=NOT(logical)
| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
| logical | A TRUE or FALSE value, or a test such as =B2>0. Usually a cell reference or a comparison. |
Examples
1. Flip a TRUE/FALSE flag
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is paid | FALSE | |||||
| 2 | Still owed? | TRUE |
The flag is FALSE, so NOT returns TRUE: the invoice is still owed.
2. Items that are out of stock
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Units in stock | 0 | |||||
| 2 | Available? | TRUE |
=G1>0 is FALSE when there is no stock. NOT flips it to TRUE, which here means the item is out of stock.
3. Flag orders that are not paid
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Status | Open | |||||
| 2 | Action | Chase payment |
Combining NOT with IF reads as 'if it is not paid, chase it'.
Common mistakes
Writing NOT with a text value.
=NOT("Paid")causes #VALUE!, because NOT needs TRUE or FALSE, not text.Fix: Compare first:
=NOT(G1="Paid").Double negatives that are hard to read.
=NOT(NOT(B2))works but confuses readers.Fix: Write the positive test instead, such as
=B2, or use a clear comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is NOT the same as <>?
Almost. =G1<>"Paid" compares directly, while =NOT(G1="Paid") negates a comparison. Both give the same result here.
Can NOT check more than one condition?
No. It takes one argument. Combine conditions with AND or OR first, then wrap the result in NOT.
Related functions
- ANDAND returns TRUE only when every condition is true.
- OROR returns TRUE when at least one condition is true.
- IFIF checks a condition and returns one value if it's true and another if it's false.
- XORXOR returns TRUE when an odd number of its conditions are TRUE, so it is useful for exactly one of two options.