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What does the NOT operator in SQL signify?

  1. A condition that is true

  2. A negation of a condition

  3. A conjunction of conditions

  4. A universal condition for all records

The correct answer is: A negation of a condition

The NOT operator in SQL signifies a negation of a condition, making it a powerful tool for filtering results based on the opposite of a specified criterion. When used in a SQL query, it reverses the boolean value of the condition that follows it. For example, if a condition checks whether a value is true, applying the NOT operator will yield true when that value is false and vice versa. This allows developers to easily query records that do not meet certain criteria, which is essential for precise data manipulation and retrieval. Understanding the NOT operator is crucial for building effective queries, as it aids in crafting more complex filters and conditions, enhancing the overall functionality of data retrieval in SQL. This highlights its role in querying processes, where excluding certain records can be just as important as including them.