SQL NOT Keyword

The NOT operator in SQL reverses the logic of a condition. It's used within the WHERE clause to select rows that *do not* meet a specified criterion. This is a very powerful tool for filtering data more precisely.

NOT: Definition and Usage

NOT acts as a logical negation. It effectively flips a condition's truth value: If a condition is true, NOT makes it false; if a condition is false, NOT makes it true. This allows you to select all rows that *do not* satisfy a particular condition.

Syntax


SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE NOT condition;

Example

Selecting Customers Not from Germany

This query selects all customer information except for those customers located in Germany. (This assumes a 'Customers' table with a 'Country' column.)

Syntax


SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE NOT Country = 'Germany';

Output


(All rows from the Customers table where the Country column is not 'Germany' will be returned.)