～のみならず — Not Only, But Also
A formal, written equivalent of だけでなく, meaning 'not only X but also Y'. It expands the scope beyond an initial item to include something additional, often something broader or more significant. Frequently paired with も in the second clause.
Structure
[Noun／Plain form] + のみならず（〜も）
Examples
この薬は頭痛のみならず、発熱にも効く。
Kono kusuri wa zutsū nomi narazu, hatsunetsu ni mo kiku.
This medicine works not only on headaches but also on fever.
のみならず expands from headaches to the additional case of fever, reinforced by も.
彼は英語のみならず、フランス語も話せる。
Kare wa eigo nomi narazu, furansugo mo hanaseru.
He can speak not only English but also French.
のみならず adds French to English, with も marking the additional item.
その事件は国内のみならず海外でも報道された。
Sono jiken wa kokunai nomi narazu kaigai de mo hōdō sareta.
That incident was reported not only domestically but also abroad.
のみならず broadens the scope from domestic to the wider realm of overseas coverage.
• Register: formal/written; だけでなく is the everyday equivalent. • Often followed by も, さえ, or まで in the second clause for emphasis. • Can attach to nouns or plain-form clauses.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～のみならず is tested against.
vs ～だけでなく
だけでなく carries the same meaning but is neutral/spoken; のみならず is distinctly formal and literary.
vs ～ばかりか
ばかりか often adds a more surprising/extreme second element; のみならず simply adds a further item in a formal register.
More connectives
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