note

verb \ ˈnōt \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: note in a Sentence

noted; noting

transitive verb

1 a : to notice or observe with care

… instructors had noted that he did not perform well under pressure.
—Stephan Wilkinson

b : to record or preserve in writing

The detective noted the details of the witness's account of the robbery.

2 a : to make special mention of or remark on

The commendation notes the bravery of the fire fighter.

b : indicate, show

Records fail to note what became of him.

—

noter

noun

See note defined for English-language learners

See note defined for kids

Examples of note in a Sentence

You may have noted my late arrival.
The thing to note here is that people are suffering.
It's interesting to note how quickly things have changed.
Their objections were duly noted.
As one official noted, the situation has begun to get out of control.
As noted above most people survive the disease.
“They've asked us to leave,” he noted with amusement.

Recent Examples of note from the Web

Weltman also noted, however, the Magic hypothetically could make a trade or trades.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Magic Mailbag: What’s the deal with Orlando’s point guard situation?," 12 July 2018
Merkel, who was raised behind the Soviet Union's Iron Curtain in East Germany, also noted pointedly that unified Germany is now free from the yoke of Moscow.

— jonathan allen /, NBC News, "Trump blasts NATO allies, calls Germany 'a captive of Russia'," 11 July 2018
Trump also noted that Germany’s former leader, Gerhard Schroeder, works in the Russian energy industry.

— alex ward, Vox, "Trump blasted US allies within minutes of arriving at NATO summit," 11 July 2018
The report also noted that breast-feeding makes economic sense: Researchers who ran a cost analysis reported that if 90 percent of mothers in the United States breast-fed exclusively for six months, there would be savings of $13 billion per year.

— roni caryn rabin, New York Times, "Trump Stance on Breast-Feeding and Formula Criticized by Medical Experts," 9 July 2018
The statement also noted that Planned Parenthood’s total patient visits had fallen 67 percent over the past decade.

— shari rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Planned Parenthood shuts Fort Wayne clinic, blaming harassment from anti-abortion activists," 9 July 2018
The prosecutor also noted Mikula’s frequent trips to Maine and his prior arrests for credit card fraud and gun offenses.

— jerome campbell, BostonGlobe.com, "East Boston man ordered held on $200,000 bail on explosive charges after apartment blast," 9 July 2018
But the printed program also noted other important names in McAllister’s life.

— melissa fletcher stoeltje, San Antonio Express-News, "Personal side of late philanthropist celebrated," 9 July 2018
The cement industry is a highly conservative sector, Sant noted—and not without reason.

— chelsea harvey, Scientific American, "Cement Producers Are Developing a Plan to Reduce CO2 Emissions," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'note.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of note

Middle English, from Anglo-French noter, from Latin notare to mark, note, from nota

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

note Synonyms

note

noun

1 a (1) obsolete : melody, song

(2) : tone 2a

(3) : call, sound; especially : the musical call of a bird

b : a written symbol used to indicate duration and pitch of a tone by its shape and position on the staff

2 a : a characteristic feature (as of odor or flavor)

b : something (such as an emotion or disposition) like a note in tone or resonance

a note of sadness

end on a high note

3 a (1) : memorandum

(2) : a condensed or informal record

b (1) : a brief comment or explanation

(2) : a printed comment or reference set apart from the text

c (1) : a written promise to pay a debt

(2) : a piece of paper money

(3) : a government or corporate bond usually with a maturity of between two and ten years

d (1) : a short informal letter

(2) : a formal diplomatic communication

e : a scholarly or technical essay shorter than an article and restricted in scope

f : a sheet of notepaper

4 a : distinction, reputation

a figure of international note

b : observation, notice

took full note of the proceedings

c : knowledge, information

See note defined for English-language learners

Examples of note in a Sentence

She wrote a note to remind herself about the appointment.
I left you a note on the kitchen table.
making notes in the margins of a book
She jotted down a few notes during the interview.
After class, I usually study my notes and read the next chapter.
I can't come to class today. Would you mind taking notes for me?
His secretary took notes during our meeting.
Please include a brief note about where the picture was taken.
He writes in the program notes that the play was inspired by his own childhood.
One final note: tickets will be available at the door the night of the concert.

Recent Examples of note from the Web

Ravinia note: Christine Taylor Conda, Ravinia’s director of its Reach Teach Play education programs, has been appointed chair of the El Sistema USA board of directors for a one-year term.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "CSO at Ravinia review: Marin Alsop poetically launches Bernstein tribute," 13 July 2018
In 1971, three children was ideal, Pew Research Center notes, citing Gallup data.

— ashley may, USA TODAY, "Middle children are going extinct because Millennials don't want three children anymore," 13 July 2018
Regional variations use egg as an emulsifier and add an acidic note from lemon juice or mustard.

— claire perez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "How to make your own aioli sauce," 13 July 2018
The mournful ballads of lost love, an upbeat tune to welcome the harvest, wandering mystical notes contemplating and celebrating God.

— taylor luck, The Christian Science Monitor, "In rediscovered reed flute, a soulful link to Jordanian identity," 13 July 2018
In November last year 100,000-bolívar notes finally arrived, but not enough to meet demand.

— The Economist, "Venezuelan cash is almost worthless, but also scarce," 12 July 2018
Brewed specifically for International Women’s Day with a hop blend from the Pink Boots Society, a club of female brewers, this New England IPA carries smelling notes of orange blossom and peaches.

— benjy egel, sacbee, "These 15 Sacramento-area beers have the cleverest names of any released in 2018," 12 July 2018
Your thoughts and notes have kept me strong for Sully the last few days.

— natalie stone, PEOPLE.com, "Zach & Tori Roloff Bring Home Adorable Puppy a Year After the Heartbreaking Death of Their Dog," 12 July 2018
These three apartments offer renters the coveted ability to wash their unmentionables without scrounging for quarters or passive-aggressively trading notes about neighbors in a communal laundry room.

— shannon rooney, Philly.com, "Three Philly apartments under $2,500 a month - with coveted private laundry," 11 July 2018

Illustration of note

Origin and Etymology of note

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin nota mark, character, written note

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

note Synonyms

Synonyms

call, cry;

Synonym Discussion of note

sign, mark, token, note, symptom mean a discernible indication of what is not itself directly perceptible. sign applies to any indication to be perceived by the senses or the reason.

- encouraging signs for the economy

mark suggests something impressed on or inherently characteristic of a thing often in contrast to general outward appearance.

- a mark of a good upbringing

token applies to something that serves as a proof of something intangible.

- this gift is a token of our esteem

note suggests a distinguishing mark or characteristic.

- a note of irony in her writing

symptom suggests an outward indication of an internal change or condition.

- rampant crime is a symptom of that city's decay

Financial Definition of NOTE

note

noun

What It Is

In the finance world, a note is debt.

How It Works

Notes are typically medium-term debt, but not always. For example, Treasury notes (T-notes) are intermediate-term bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury. They mature in two, three, five or 10 years.

You might hear people use the phrase "carry the note," which means to take on debt from another issuer. For example, let's say you plan to purchase a business for $2 million. You have only $200,000 in cash for the seller and want to pay the seller over time for the rest. Essentially, you're borrowing $1.8 million from the seller, and the seller is "carrying a note" until you pay back that $1.8 million.

Why It Matters

There are many kinds of notes: municipal notes, Treasury notes, bank notes, promissory notes, etc. Like all debt, the terms vary, including the interest rates, face values, maturities and other provisions.

Source: Investing Answers

tax anticipation note

noun

What It Is

A tax anticipation note (TAN) is a short-term note that a state or local government issues and expects to repay with imminent tax receipts.

How It Works

Town XYZ wants to purchase a new building to replace the old City Hall. The building costs $10 million. Town XYZ expects to pay $5 million cash for the building but needs to raise another $5 million. It expects to receive at least that much next April after the annual income tax filing deadline has passed, but the real estate deal is scheduled to close six months before that date, in October.

Because of the timing, Town XYZ issues $5 million of tax anticipation notes that mature in May. (Note that tax anticipation notes are typically issued at a discount, meaning that the investors will pay, say, 95% of the face value of each bond; the actual discount depends on the market and the issuer’s creditworthiness.) The notes pay buyers 5% interest per year. Remember, however, that the notes will be outstanding for less than one year.

Town XYZ is then able to purchase the building for $10 million in October. When April arrives, Town XYZ has its income tax receipts and uses a portion of them to repay the TANs (which generally get first dibs on tax receipts). TAN maturities are usually not longer than one calendar year.

Why It Matters

Tax anticipation notes provide state and local governments with a way to stabilize cash inflows and outflows during the year. In turn, this allows governments to proceed with capital projects immediately rather than waiting to have the actual cash in hand.

Tax anticipation notes are a type of municipal bonds -- investors are generally able to obtain interest tax-free.

Source: Investing Answers

NOTE Defined for English Language Learners

note

verb

: to notice or pay attention to (something)
: to say or write (something)

note

noun

: a short piece of writing that is used to help someone remember something
notes : an informal written record of things that are said and done
: a short piece of writing that gives you information : a brief comment or explanation

NOTE Defined for Kids

note

verb \ ˈnōt \

noted; noting

1 : to notice or observe with care

Note the differences between the two paintings.

2 : to record in writing

Let me note down your address.

3 : to make special mention of His speech noted everyone's achievements.

note

noun

1 : a musical sound : tone

2 : a symbol in music that by its shape and position on the staff shows the pitch of a tone and the length of time it is to be held

3 : the musical call or song of a bird

4 : a quality that shows a feeling

There's a note of sadness in your voice.

5 : something written down often to aid the memory

I'll make a note of the appointment.

6 : a printed comment in a book that helps explain part of the text

7 : distinction 3

artists of note

8 : a short written message or letter

a thank-you note

9 : careful notice

Please take note of the time.

10 : frame of mind : mood

She began the day on a happy note.

11 : a piano key

12 : a written promise to pay a debt

Law Dictionary

note

noun

1 a : a written promise to pay a debt; specifically : promissory note in this entry

— bank note

: a promissory note issued by a bank payable to bearer on demand but without interest and circulating as money

— cognovit note \käg-ˈnō-vit-, kōg-\

: a note in which the maker acknowledges the debt and authorizes the entry of judgment against him or her without notice or a hearing : a note containing a confession of judgment

— collateral note

: a note secured especially by a collateral mortgage and pledged to secure an obligation of which a hand note usually serves as evidence

— demand note

: a note payable on demand — compare time note in this entry

— floating rate note

: a negotiable note that yields an indexed and periodically adjusted variable rate of interest — called also floater

— hand note

: a note for an obligation secured by a collateral note

— non-recourse note

: a note whose satisfaction upon default may be obtained only out of the collateral securing it

— promissory note

: a note containing an unconditional promise to pay on demand or at a fixed or determined future time a particular sum of money to or to the order of a specified person or to the bearer

— recourse note

: a note whose satisfaction upon default may be obtained from the debtor's assets other than and in addition to the collateral securing it

— renewal note

: a note that continues an obligation due under a previous note

— tax anticipation note

: a note issued by a state or municipality on pending tax revenue to fund immediate governmental expenditures

— time note

: a note payable at a specified time in the future — compare demand note in this entry

— Treasury note

: a negotiable note issued by the U.S. government with a maturity date of one to ten years from the date of issue — called also T-note; compare Treasury bill at bill 7, Treasury bond at bond 2

b : a piece of paper money

2 : an exposition on a law-related topic especially found in a law review