Marking Items for Exclusion ("NOT") (-)

You can exclude a hit due to the presence of one or more search items. Such mandatory exclusion logic for a particular search item falls outside the intersection quantity setting, as does inclusion, and applies to the whole set in the same manner. This is sometimes thought of as "NOT" logic, designated with a minus sign (-).

A common example is where one item is very frequently used in the text, so you wish to rule out any hits where it occurs. You want an intersection of A and B, but not if C is present.

Use the minus sign (-) to mark search items for exclusion. Default or specified intersection quantities apply to items not marked with a plus (+) or minus (-). The number of intersections required will apply to the remaining permuted items.

Example:

WHERE BODY LIKE 'license ~alcohol -drink'

This search has the goal of finding licensing issues surrounding alcohol. However, the presence of the word "drink" might incorrectly produce references about restaurants that do not serve alcohol.

Excluding the hit if it contains "drink" retrieves these hits:

license (and) ~alcohol -drink
     Every person licensed to sell LIQUOR, wine or beer or mixed
     beverages in the city shall pay to the city a LICENSE fee
     equal to the maximum allowed ...

 license (and) ~alcohol -drink
     State law reference(s)--Authority to levy and collect
     LICENSE fee, V.T.C.A., ALCOHOLIC Beverage Code 11.38, 61.36.

But excludes this hit:

license (and) ~alcohol -drink  {Excluded Hit}
     The city council shall have the power to regulate, LICENSE
     and inspect persons, firms, or associations operating,
     managing, or conducting any place where food or DRINK is
     manufactured, prepared, or otherwise handled within city
     limits.

More than one search item may be marked with a minus (-) for exclusion, along with items marked with plus (+) for inclusion, and any valid intersection quantity (@#) specification. Any search item, including phrases and special expressions, may be marked for exclusion in this fashion.