if not for

English

Phrase

if not for

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.

References

• “if not for”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “if it were not for”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.