What can a NOT gate also be described as?

A NOT gate can be accurately described as an inverter because its primary function is to reverse the input signal. If the input signal is high (1), the output will be low (0), and if the input is low (0), the output will be high (1). This behavior embodies the role of an inverter, which directly converts one logic level to another, thereby performing logical negation.

In digital logic, the terminology often aligns with the functional characteristics of the component; in this case, the NOT gate inverts the input. The term "inverter" precisely captures this negating function, distinguishing it from other components like buffers, comparators, or selectors, which serve entirely different purposes in digital circuits. A buffer, for instance, amplifies the signal without changing its value, while a comparator assesses two values and produces an output based on their relationship. A selector, on the other hand, chooses between multiple inputs based on control signals. Thus, the identity of a NOT gate as an inverter is clear and supported by its fundamental operation in electronic systems.