SQL 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';

In the example above, the NOT operator is used in combination with the = operator, but it can be used in combination with other comparison and/or logical operators. See examples below.

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Syntax

SELECT _column1_, _column2, ..._ FROM _table_name_ WHERE NOT _condition_;

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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

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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;

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;

Note: There is a not-greater-than operator: !> that would give you the same result.

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NOT Less Than

Example

Select customers with a CustomerID not less than 50:

SELECT \* FROM Customers  
WHERE NOT CustomerId < 50;

Note: There is a not-less-than operator: !< that would give you the same result.

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