NOT reverses a logical result: TRUE becomes FALSE and FALSE becomes TRUE. Use it around a comparison or a compound condition when you want to identify the opposite case.
NOT function syntax
=NOT(logical_expression)- logical_expression: the condition or logical value to reverse.
- Numeric zero is treated as FALSE, so NOT(0) is TRUE. Nonzero numbers are treated as TRUE.
- For text categories, compare the cell with a quoted label before applying NOT.
Set up the example data
Enter this dataset starting in A1. The first row contains headings. Keep the result area separate from the source table.
| Active | Score | Stock |
|---|---|---|
| TRUE | 42 | 15 |
| FALSE | 75 | 0 |
| TRUE | 30 | -2 |
| TRUE | 90 | 3 |
Flip a TRUE or FALSE value
Enter this formula in A8. A2 is TRUE, so the result is FALSE. The formula reverses the flag without changing the source value.
=NOT(A2)Result: FALSE.
Invert a score comparison
The score in B2 is 42. The comparison B2>=50 is FALSE, so NOT returns TRUE, identifying a score below 50. For numeric inputs, B2<50 is a shorter equivalent.
=NOT(B2>=50)Result: TRUE.
Return stock labels with IF
This checks whether stock is not zero. For the positive stock of 15 in C2, IF returns In Stock. The formula illustrates logical reversal inside a label-producing expression.
=IF(NOT(C2=0),"In Stock","Out of Stock")Result: In Stock.
Flag a row that fails either requirement
Enter the second table at A20. For row 22, the price is at least 20 but stock is zero. AND returns FALSE, so NOT flags the row TRUE.
| Price | Stock | Department |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 10 | Sales |
| 50 | 0 | Marketing |
| 15 | 30 | Finance |
| 80 | 5 | Sales |
=NOT(AND(A22>=20,B22>0))Result: TRUE.
Exclude a department by its label
The department in C21 is Sales. Comparing it with Sales is TRUE, so NOT returns FALSE. Other department labels return TRUE with this comparison.
=NOT(C21="Sales")Result: FALSE.
Return one reversed flag per row
ARRAYFORMULA reverses the four logical values in A2:A5, giving FALSE, TRUE, FALSE and FALSE vertically. Leave room for all four results.
=ARRAYFORMULA(NOT(A2:A5))Result: FALSE; TRUE; FALSE; FALSE.
Use an explicit positive-stock rule
For the negative quantity in C4, this version returns Out of Stock. The condition expresses the business rule directly and avoids treating every nonzero number as available stock.
=IF(C4>0,"In Stock","Out of Stock")Result: Out of Stock.
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