may not

/meɪ nɒt/

possible negation

You may not enter without a ticket.

This phrase indicates that entering without a ticket is prohibited.

formalinformal

Expresses that something is not allowed or possible

Students may not use their phones during exams.

This means students are prohibited from using phones during exams.

It may not rain tomorrow.

This suggests that rain is unlikely tomorrow.

Used to indicate prohibition, impossibility, or low probability.

Collocations

may not beused to express uncertainty or impossibilitymay not haveused to express doubt about past actions

less certain than 'may not'

expresses impossibility

Use 'may not' in formal contexts, such as rules or official statements.

'May not' is used to deny permission or possibility, not certainty.

Derived from the modal verb 'may' combined with the negation 'not'.

Often used in formal contexts to express rules or possibilities.

may

expresses possibility or permission

root

not

negates the preceding word

suffix

English Dictionary