Not Applicable – Meaning & Example Sentences

If you’ve heard the phrase “not applicable” before, you may not have known what exactly it means.

In today’s post, we’ll be covering the exact meaning of “not applicable” in various different areas, including law, business, and more.

What Does “Not Applicable” Mean?

“Not applicable” is a phrase that means “does not apply”. It is often included on forms in which you must answer questions. If a certain question does not apply to you , you could answer “not applicable”. This phrase is sometimes abbreviated to “n/a”.

There are many questions you will have to answer on forms throughout your life. It is generally recommended to not leave anything blank on a form, because this could lead someone to believe you simply missed a question by mistake.

However, not all questions on forms are going to be relevant to you. For instance, let’s say you are filling out a form, and one of the questions is:

• What was the date of your first marriage?

If you have never been married before, this question does not apply to you. Instead of explaining in detail how you’ve never been married before, you could simply write “not applicable” or “n/a”. This lets someone know that you could not answer the question because it wasn’t relevant to you.

Not Applicable – Meaning in Legal Terms

Legally, “not applicable” means that something does not apply to a situation, usually in regards to criminal charges. In some states, you may see something along the lines of:

• GOC Not Applicable

“GOC” stands for General Offense Code. If it is followed by “not applicable”, it simply means that you won’t be subjected to the consequences of a GOC in court because it is not being applied to you. Like always, “not applicable” in legal terms just means that something does not apply to a case.

Not Applicable – Meaning for Unemployment

As far as unemployment is concerned, “not applicable” means that something is not relevant or cannot be applied. This may be a phrase that write as an answer for a question on a form, or it may be a phrase said to you on a return notice.

In the latter case, “not applicable” could mean that you do not or cannot qualify for unemployment. It could also mean that there is a waiting week, in which you do not get paid unemployment benefits. However, this could be a result of an error in a submission form, or something similar.

If you see the phrase “not applicable” on an employment form or document and are unsure of what it means, your best bet it always to call the relevant agency directly and ask for information.

Not Applicable – Meaning in Medical Terms

Medically, “not applicable” means that something medical does not apply. For example, perhaps you are filling out a medical form, in which you are asked:

• What is the date of your last surgery?

If you have never had surgery before, you could simply answer “not applicable” or “n/a”. This is a much shorter and more effective way to tell medical personnel that the question is not relevant to you, and therefore, you cannot answer it.

You may also see “not applicable” after other medical terms or statements. This simply means that whatever “not applicable” is referring to does not apply or is not relevant to the situation.

What Does N/A Mean in Gaming?

In gaming, you may occasionally see “N/A” or “n/a”. These abbreviations both stand for either “not applicable” or “not available”. They can often be seen in inventory and equipment menus. If you see “N/A”, it may mean that something is unavailable to you.

For example, perhaps you are playing a game where you can equip various pieces of armor to your character, including helmets. But if you do not have a helmet, the slot for equipping it could read “N/A”. This would tell you that you do not have any available helmets to equip.