none
/nʌn/determinerpronoun★Beginner
general
Not any; not one
None of the students answered the question.
This means that zero students responded.
None of the cakes were left.
This means that all the cakes had been eaten.
💡
Often used with 'of' to refer to a group or collection.
Collocations
none ofnot any of a group or collection
Synonyms
Antonyms
💡Pro Tip
Pronoun vs. Determiner
'None' can function as a pronoun (e.g., 'None are left') or a determiner (e.g., 'None of the options').
⚡Gold Rule
Singular or Plural?
'None' is often treated as singular in formal contexts (e.g., 'None is correct') but can be plural in informal contexts (e.g., 'None are correct').
📖Word Origin
From Middle English 'noon', from Old English 'nān', meaning 'not one'.
📝Usage Notes
Can be used as a pronoun or determiner. Often followed by 'of' when referring to a specific group.
Word Breakdown
non-
not
prefix-e
indefinite pronoun ending
suffixEnglish Dictionary