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Synonyms

notification

American  
[noh-tuh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˌnoʊ tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

  • notifications
    plural
  1. an act or instance of notifying or informing someone of something; notice.

    Lawyers have a duty of notification in cases where a document is accidentally sent to them.

    Authors submitting work must expect to wait up to three months before notification of acceptance.

    The policy requires prompt notification of the insurer in case of an accident.

  2. a written or printed notice, announcement, or warning.

    Notifications were mailed to the winners.

  3. Digital Technology. a programmed message or alert sent on an electronic device to inform the user of something.


notification British  
/ ˌnəʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act of notifying

  2. a formal announcement

  3. something that notifies; a notice

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of notification

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English notificacioun, from Medieval Latin nōtificātiōn-, stem of nōtificātiō, from nōtificāt(us) “made known” (past participle of nōtificāre “to make known”; see notify) + -iō -ion

Explanation

A notification is a formal notice, request, or warning. You might get a notification from your landlord that you need to shovel the snow on your sidewalk, or a notification from your school that you've won an award. Some notifications arrive in the form of a letter in your mailbox, while others are verbal (you might get a phone call that's a notification that your cat is due for a shot at the vet), and many more are sent as emails or other electronic messages. The Latin source is notificare , "to make known," which comes from the roots notus, "known," and facere, "make."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The German War Graves Commission said the families of these two soldiers would have "waited in vain" for official notification of their deaths.

From BBC Aug. 12, 2026

"Even getting a birth notification from the hospital requires information that doesn't exist," says Amira, explaining that she is unable to provide any details about the child's father.

From BBC Aug. 7, 2026

Olivier Stewart, 38, had to leave Merignac with his wife and young children after receiving an emergency notification.

From Barron's Jul. 25, 2026

There is no icon that automatically shows up on a Zoom call and no audio notification when Granola is being used on a phone call.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 17, 2026

But the notification and location is often enough.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Instead, call the number on the back of your Medicare Advantage insurance card and ask about changes to your coverage, and check your email for notifications as well.

From MarketWatch Aug. 11, 2026

She has received notifications of movement from the camera at her front door, and said she has seen some “suspicious” people on her three Ring cameras, even yelling at them through her phone.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 10, 2026

Sanih points out how her "phone is always getting notifications and sometimes I just want to be outside, blissfully listening to music".

From BBC Aug. 8, 2026

In his ruling, New Mexico Judge Bryan Biedscheid also noted that teenagers are particularly susceptible to features that are designed to boost engagement such as autoplay, infinite scrolling, like counts, push notifications and algorithmic recommendations.

From Barron's Aug. 7, 2026

She turned back to her phone, scrolling through the notifications on the pictures she’d posted from our trip so far.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

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