notify

verb

no·​ti·​fy ˈnō-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce notify (audio)
notified; notifying

transitive verb

1
: to give formal notice to
notify a family of the death of a relation
She notified the police about the accident.
2
: to give notice of or report the occurrence of
He notified his intention to sue.
She notified my arrival to the governor.
3
obsolete : to point out
notifier noun
Choose the Right Synonym for notify

inform, acquaint, apprise, notify mean to make one aware of something.

inform implies the imparting of knowledge especially of facts or occurrences.

informed us of the crisis

acquaint lays stress on introducing to or familiarizing with.

acquaint yourself with the keyboard

apprise implies communicating something of special interest or importance.

keep us apprised of the situation

notify implies sending notice of something requiring attention or demanding action.

notified the witness when to appear

Examples of notify in a Sentence

Customers were notified of the changes in the company. I was notified that I did not get the job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The medical examiner did not release the man's name because the office was working to notify his family. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 29 Nov. 2024 The 4-year-old girl is currently in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol, who notified the mother that her daughter had been found alone at the border, it was reported. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024 Himes said Thursday morning he was notified of the threat against his home during a Thanksgiving celebration with his family. Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024 The woman’s identity is being withheld until her next of kin has been notified, according to police. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for notify 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English notifien, from Anglo-French notifier to make known, from Late Latin notificare, from Latin notus known

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of notify was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near notify

Cite this Entry

“Notify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notify. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

notify

verb
no·​ti·​fy ˈnōt-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce notify (audio)
notified; notifying
: to give notice to : inform
notify the police
notifier noun

Medical Definition

notify

transitive verb
no·​ti·​fy ˈnōt-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce notify (audio)
notified; notifying
1
British : to report the occurrence of (a case of communicable disease) or the occurrence of communicable disease in (an individual)
all cases of disease should be notified by the treating consultantPractitioner
2
: to give formal notice to
the Broward County Public Health Unit … was notified of three children … hospitalized with encephalitis attributed to cat scratch diseaseThe Journal of the American Medical Association
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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