SQL NOT Operator
The NOT Operator
The NOT operator is used in combination with other operators to give the opposite result, also called the negative result.
In the select statement below, we want to return all customers that are NOT from Spain:
Example
Select only the customers that are NOT from Spain:
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE NOT Country = 'Spain';
Try it Yourself »
In the example above, the NOT operator is used in combination with the = operator, but it can be used in combination with another comparison and/or logical operators. See examples below.
Syntax
SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE NOT condition;
Demo Database
Below is a selection from the Customers table used in the examples:
| CustomerID | CustomerName | ContactName | Address | City | PostalCode | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Alfreds Futterkiste | Maria Anders | Obere Str. 57 | Berlin | 12209 | Germany |
| 2 | Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados | Ana Trujillo | Avda. de la Constitución 2222 | México D.F. | 05021 | Mexico |
| 3 | Antonio Moreno Taquería | Antonio Moreno | Mataderos 2312 | México D.F. | 05023 | Mexico |
| 4 |
Around the Horn | Thomas Hardy | 120 Hanover Sq. | London | WA1 1DP | UK |
| 5 | Berglunds snabbköp | Christina Berglund | Berguvsvägen 8 | Luleå | S-958 22 | Sweden |
NOT LIKE
Example
Select customers that does not start with the letter 'A':
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName NOT LIKE 'A%';
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NOT BETWEEN
Example
Select customers with a customerID not between 10 and 60:
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerID NOT BETWEEN 10 AND 60;
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NOT IN
Example
Select customers that are not from Paris or London:
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE City NOT IN ('Paris', 'London');
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NOT Greater Than
Example
Select customers with a CustomerId not greater than 50:
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE NOT CustomerID > 50;
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Note: There is a not-greater-then operator: !> that would give you the same result.
NOT Less Than
Example
Select customers with a CustomerID not less than 50:
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE NOT CustomerId < 50;
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Note: There is a not-less-then operator: !< that would give you the same result.
