notify

Definition of notifynext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb notify differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of notify are acquaint, apprise, and inform. While all these words mean "to make one aware of something," notify implies sending notice of something requiring attention or demanding action.

notified the witness when to appear

When can acquaint be used instead of notify?

Although the words acquaint and notify have much in common, acquaint lays stress on introducing to or familiarizing with.

acquaint yourself with the keyboard

When might apprise be a better fit than notify?

In some situations, the words apprise and notify are roughly equivalent. However, apprise implies communicating something of special interest or importance.

keep us apprised of the situation

When could inform be used to replace notify?

While in some cases nearly identical to notify, inform implies the imparting of knowledge especially of facts or occurrences.

informed us of the crisis

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of notify Instead, the school should notify parents, and the child should keep attending school as they are being treated. — Emily J. C. Wong, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 Lamont is required to notify the legislature leaders, who have a veto that never has been used. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026 Hospital staff notified police, and officers responded to the hospital to talk with the injured person. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 OpenAI took months to discover the incident and notify the Australian agencies affected — that’s unacceptable by my standard. — Rumman Chowdhury, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for notify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for notify
Verb
  • The report stated the test was not aimed at any country or specific target, and that relevant governments were informed ahead of time.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The mass sampling and real-time information gathering on prediction markets can extend their utility to informing business decisions, according to Zitzewitz.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Engineering textbooks advise practitioners to limit any settlement to around 1 to 3 inches, depending on the soil.
    — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In a social media post, police advised people nearby to stay alert, be aware of their surroundings and keep children and pets close.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Notify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/notify. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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