have-not

noun

ˈhav-ˌnät How to pronounce have-not (audio)
-ˈnät
: one that is poor especially in material wealth

Examples of have-not in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Charting a divided league’s haves and have-nots Ranking the top 25 college football teams: Who’s biggest winner after the spring portal window? The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 22 May 2025 The conversation about baseball’s haves and have-nots bled into the offseason, as the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets tossed around hundreds of millions while nine teams declined to sign any player to a multiyear contract. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 21 May 2025 Will there be haves, who can afford to pay for a robotaxi and have-nots who are left with the bus? Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 18 May 2025 The animation director adds the inversion of the zombie genre for Bread Will Walk, where two young people are on the run from a comedic, starving mob, aims beyond engaging audiences to leave them pondering the impact of hunger itself in a world increasingly filled by the haves and have-nots. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for have-not

Word History

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of have-not was in 1836

Cite this Entry

“Have-not.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have-not. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

have-not

noun
ˈhav-ˌnät,
-ˈnät
: one that is poor in material wealth

More from Merriam-Webster on have-not

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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