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.
That gap in the spending patterns of the haves and have-nots is just one indication of how inequality is on the rise. Iese Business School, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 Listen to this article America is currently at war with itself over who constitutes the haves and have-nots, and what ethnic groups have faced the most discrimination. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025 One is the friction between the haves and have-nots, an old and sturdy foundation on which to build a specific, meaningful tension between two people with differences posing a real test to their attraction. Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2025 As if New Mexico State University, one of the perennial have-nots in FBS college sports, wasn’t already facing enough challenges, the state legislature is poised to toss it a meager financial lifeline that appears all but out of reach. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 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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