Informal contraction meaning 'am not,' 'is not,' 'are not,' 'have not,' or 'has not.' Widely used in casual speech but considered nonstandard in formal writing.
Contraction of 'am not,' first appearing in the 18th century. Originally considered acceptable, it became stigmatized in the 19th century as education became more standardized.
Despite being taught as 'incorrect,' 'ain't' serves a crucial grammatical function—it's the only natural contraction for 'am not' in questions like 'ain't I right?' since 'aren't I' is technically illogical!
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