notary public

noun

no·​ta·​ry public ˈnō-tə-rē- 

plural notaries public or notary publics

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

called also notary

Examples of notary public in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, on April 21, 1942—in the midst of a new world war—Cannes mayor Antoine Blanchardon, a notary public by trade, seized control of the matter. —Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026

State law requires candidacy forms to be certified by a notary public or other officials, including all employees of the Election Division. —Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026

State law requires the candidacy forms to be certified by a notary public or other officials, including all employees of the Election Division office. —Tom Davies, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026

Sign it before a notary public, file that with the court before going home. —Wendy Hickey, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for notary public

• nonpublic
• republic
• semipublic

Kids Definition

notary public

noun

no·​ta·​ry public ˌnōt-ə-rē- 

plural notaries public or notary publics

: a public officer who witnesses the making of a document (as a deed) and signs it to show that it is authentic

called also notary

Legal Definition

notary public

noun

no·​ta·​ry public ˈnō-tə-rē- 

plural notaries public or notary publics

: a public officer who certifies and attests to the authenticity of writings (as deeds) and takes affidavits, depositions, and protests of negotiable instruments

called also notary

Etymology

Latin notarius stenographer, from nota note, shorthand character