notify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
notifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
notified,
past participle, past
-
notifying
present participle
verb
-
to inform; tell
-
to draw attention to; make known; announce
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
notifiernoun
-
prenotifyverb (used with object)
-
renotifyverb (used with object)
-
notifiableadjective
-
unnotifiedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
notifysimple
-
notifiessimple
-
have notifiedperfect
-
has notifiedperfect
-
am notifyingprogressive
-
are notifyingprogressive
-
is notifyingprogressive
-
have been notifyingperfect progressive
-
has been notifyingperfect progressive
Past
-
notifiedsimple
-
had notifiedperfect
-
was notifyingprogressive
-
were notifyingprogressive
-
had been notifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of notify
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English notifien, from Middle French notifier, from Latin nōtificāre, from (g)nōt(us), past participle of (g)nōscere “to come to know” ( see also know 1) + -ificāre -ify
Explanation
To notify is to officially give someone a piece of information. If your poem wins the local poetry competition, the judges will notify you that you're the winner. When you notify someone about something, it can be good or bad news. New parents notify friends and family about their baby's birth. When a library's money problems force it to close on Sundays, it might notify its patrons with an email or a letter. Notify comes from the Latin notificare, "to make known," which stems from notus, "known," and facere, "make or do."
Vocabulary lists containing notify
Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Louisiana’s Way Home
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
ICE policy is to notify the public and Congress within two business days of a detainee’s death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
The judge made the decision after an emergency hearing in which she sharply criticized the government for failing to notify the court and the opposing side of its plans until late Friday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Reyes had repeatedly instructed the government to notify the court and preservationists before undertaking significant work at the course.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
I passed beneath an unobtrusive white arch that, I later learned, uses artificial intelligence to detect weapons and notify guards nearby.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
I must remember to inform labs that have received animal shipments from us to notify the C.D.C. if any unusual animal deaths occur.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Oura also notifies you if it identifies a significant shift over a 30-day period.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
The IRS notifies households of penalties by a written letter sent through the mail.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
The IDN, for instance, has a system to alert trained observers to respond to ICE action, and notifies people based on their proximity to the action.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2026
Earlier that day, Zaslav notifies David Ellison that Warner’s board had unanimously rejected Paramount’s second bid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
Mobilization, however, is bound to follow if Russia does not stop every measure of war against us and against Austria-Hungary within twelve hours, and notifies us definitely to this effect.
From The Story of the Great War, Volume I (of 8) Introductions; Special Articles; Causes of War; Diplomatic and State Papers by Allen L. (Allen Leon) Churchill
US President Donald Trump has notified Congress of his intention to remove South Africa and Rwanda from a preferential trade programme, from 1 January 2027.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner will release the woman’s identity after her family has been notified, Orozco said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
Syria said it had not been notified of Monday's attack.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
He said he has already notified the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
When the owner of Bobby’s apartment returned from her work abroad, as planned, she notified Bobby that he needed to vacate.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
The judgment also found that Facebook committed to notifying users when an app misused their data and deliberately didn’t.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
We believe that the combination of weather and rapid glacier retreat in early August 2025 was likely sufficient to issue an alert notifying people that the hazard may be temporarily elevated in a general area.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
The company said it voluntarily removed lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms within 72 hours of public-health officials notifying the chain about a link between the produce and the outbreak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The case spawned in Nevada, of all places, as the local Gaming Control Board sent a cease-and-desist letter notifying Kalshi that it was violating Nevada statutes and gaming regulations.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
I then immediately applied for a two-week remand on the grounds that I had been transferred to Pretoria without being given the opportunity of notifying my attorneys.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
