Logic function
NOT
Turn the answer around.
Purpose
Turn a test around
Returns
TRUE when the test was FALSE, and FALSE when it was TRUE
Syntax
=NOT(test)
| Argument | Required | What goes here |
|---|---|---|
test | Required | The comparison to flip. |
How to use NOT
NOT flips one test. It is the difference between what is on terms and what is not.
For a single comparison it is usually clearer to write the opposite directly: C2<>"On terms" says the same thing as NOT(C2="On terms") in fewer moving parts.
It earns its place around something that has no easy opposite, such as a whole AND or a lookup that comes back as a yes or no.
Examples
Every result below is worked out by the same evaluator that marks your answers, on the sheet shown here.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Invoice | Supplier | Status | Days overdue | Amount | Supplier | Terms (days) | |
| 2 | INV-8801 | Brightwell Paper | Overdue | 12 | 940 | Ashgrove Catering | 30 | |
| 3 | INV-8802 | Calder Utilities | Queried | 47 | 1180 | Brightwell Paper | 30 | |
| 4 | INV-8803 | Meridian Freight | Overdue | 63 | 2450 | Calder Utilities | 14 | |
| 5 | INV-8804 | Ashgrove Catering | On terms | 0 | 405 | Meridian Freight | 45 | |
| 6 | INV-8805 | Brightwell Paper | Overdue | 38 | 760 | Thornbury Print | 60 | |
| 7 | INV-8806 | Thornbury Print | Overdue | 91 | 1320 | |||
| 8 | INV-8807 | Meridian Freight | On terms | 0 | 580 | |||
| 9 | INV-8808 | Calder Utilities | Overdue | 24 | 215 |
| Formula | Result |
|---|---|
=NOT(C5="On terms")Row 5 is on terms, so turning that around gives FALSE. | FALSE |
=IF(NOT(C2="On terms"),"Needs action","")Everything that is not on terms, whatever else it might be. | Needs action |
=AND(NOT(C3="On terms"),E3>1000)NOT wrapped around one of two tests inside an AND. | TRUE |
Notes
- NOT takes exactly one test. To turn several around at once, put the AND or OR inside it.