notary public

no·ta·ry public

noun \ˈnō-tə-rē-\

plural notaries public or notary publics

Definition of NOTARY PUBLIC

: a public officer who attests or certifies writings (as a deed) to make them authentic and takes affidavits, depositions, and protests of negotiable paper —called also notary

Origin of NOTARY PUBLIC

Middle English notary clerk, notary public, from Latin notarius clerk, secretary, from notarius of shorthand, from nota note, shorthand character

First Known Use: 15th century