:not() Selector

not ( selector ) version added: 1.0

  • selector
    Type: Selector
    A selector with which to filter by.

Description: Selects all elements that do not match the given selector.

All selectors are accepted inside :not(), for example: :not(div a) and :not(div,a).

Additional Notes

The .not() method will end up providing you with more readable selections than pushing complex selectors or variables into a :not() selector filter. In most cases, it is a better choice.

Examples:

Example: Finds all inputs that are not checked and highlights the next sibling span. Notice there is no change when clicking the checkboxes since no click events have been linked. 

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <title>css demo</title>

  <script src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-1.10.2.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
  

<div>
  <input type="checkbox" name="a">
  <span>Mary</span>
</div>
<div>
  <input type="checkbox" name="b">
  <span>lcm</span>
</div>
<div>
  <input type="checkbox" name="c" checked="checked">
  <span>Peter</span>
</div>

<script>

$( "input:not(:checked) + span" ).css( "background-color", "yellow" );
$( "input").attr( "disabled", "disabled" );

</script>

  
</body>
</html>

Demo: