no longer
Adverb: Used to indicate that a previous state or action has ceased to be true or has stopped happening. It emphasizes a change from a past condition to the present one.
The phrase "no longer" is used to state that something which was true or happened in the past is not true or does not happen now. It is typically placed before the main verb or after the first auxiliary verb in a sentence. - It modifies the verb phrase to show cessation. - It often implies a permanent or significant change.
Basic Usage:
- She no longer lives in the city. (She lived there before, but now she does not.)
- I no longer believe that story. (I believed it once, but I do not now.)
- This building is no longer used as a school. (It was used as a school in the past, but it is not now.)
With Auxiliary Verbs:
- He can no longer run as fast as he used to.
- They have no longer any reason to stay.
- We are no longer waiting for permission.
"No longer" at the beginning of a sentence: For emphasis, the phrase can start a sentence, which often requires inversion of the subject and verb.
- No longer is he the manager of the company. (He was the manager, but he is not now.)
- No longer do we accept paper applications. (We accepted them before, but we do not now.)
In formal or literary contexts: It can be synonymous with "not any more" or "not any longer," though "no longer" is often preferred in more formal writing.
- Not any more / Not any longer: Less formal equivalents with similar meaning.
- I don't live there any more.
- No more (archaic/formal/literary): Can be used similarly, especially in the context of existence (e.g., "she is no more" meaning she is dead). In modern usage for cessation, "no longer" is more common.
- Not anymore
- Not now
- Formerly not the case (a descriptive phrase)
The core meaning is one of cessation or discontinuation. It directly contrasts a past state with the present. It does not describe the future; it describes the present as different from the past.