if not for

phrase

If (something) were not (or had not been) there; in the absence of (something); without.

“If not for her surgical skill, you'd be dead now, so some appreciation may be in order.”

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Meanings

phrase
  1. If (something) were not (or had not been) there; in the absence of (something); without.

    If not for her surgical skill, you'd be dead now, so some appreciation may be in order.

Translations

Polish gdyby nie
  • gdyby nieTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

if not for. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20not%20for

MLA

“if not for.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20not%20for. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “if not for,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20not%20for.

Source: if not for on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.