notice
Americannoun
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an announcement or intimation of something impending; warning.
a day's notice.
-
a note, placard, or the like conveying information or a warning.
to post a notice about the fire laws.
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information or warning of something, especially for wide attention.
to give notice of one's departure.
- Synonyms:
- announcement, notification, news, advice
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a notification of the termination, at a specified time, of an agreement, as for renting or employment, given by one of the parties to the agreement.
The sales manager suddenly gave notice and headed for Acapulco.
-
observation, perception, attention, or heed.
a book worthy of notice.
- Synonyms:
- cognizance, note
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interested or favorable attention.
to take notice of an unusual feature in the design of a building.
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critical attention, appraisal, or evaluation.
Only a few of the entries were singled out for notice.
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a brief written review or critique, as of a newly published book; review.
The notices of the play were mostly favorable.
verb (used with object)
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to pay attention to or take notice of.
Did you notice her hat?
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to perceive; become aware of.
Did you notice the anger in his voice?
- Synonyms:
- remark, mark, note, understand, recognize, discriminate, distinguish, descry
-
to acknowledge acquaintance with.
She noticed him merely with a nod.
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to mention or refer to; point out.
a circumstance that was noticed in an earlier chapter.
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to give notice to; serve with a notice.
to notice a person that his taxes are overdue.
noun
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the act of perceiving; observation; attention
to escape notice
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to pay attention; attend
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to ignore or disregard
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information about a future event; warning; announcement
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a displayed placard or announcement giving information
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advance notification of intention to end an arrangement, contract, etc, as of renting or employment (esp in the phrase give notice )
-
with notification only a little in advance
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with notification only two hours in advance
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dismissal from employment
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favourable, interested, or polite attention
she was beneath his notice
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a theatrical or literary review
the play received very good notices
verb
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to become conscious or aware of; perceive; note
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to point out or remark upon
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to pay polite or interested attention to
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to recognize or acknowledge (an acquaintance)
Synonym Usage
Notice, discern, perceive imply becoming aware of, and paying attention to, something. To notice is to become aware of something that has caught one's attention: to notice a newspaper headline; to notice a road sign. Discern suggests distinguishing (sometimes with difficulty) and recognizing a thing for what it is, discriminating it from its surroundings: In spite of the fog, we finally discerned the outline of the harbor. Perceive, often used as a formal substitute for see or notice, may convey also the idea of understanding meanings and implications: After examining the evidence he perceived its significance.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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noticesimple
-
noticessimple
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have noticedperfect
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has noticedperfect
-
am noticingprogressive
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are noticingprogressive
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is noticingprogressive
-
have been noticingperfect progressive
-
has been noticingperfect progressive
Past
-
noticedsimple
-
had noticedperfect
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was noticingprogressive
-
were noticingprogressive
-
had been noticingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of notice
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin nōtitia “a knowing, a being known,” derivative of nōtus known ( see notify)
Explanation
The word notice has to do with paying attention to something. For example, you usually notice a flashing light, and an overdue bill might come with the word "NOTICE" written on it to make sure you see it. The Latin nōtitia, a noun meaning "something known," was the ancestor of notice. Use the verb to mean “to see or point out" and the noun to mean "formal warning." When you give “advance notice,” you let someone know early or ahead of time. In case you haven't noticed, the notice posted on your door says you've been promoted and should move to the corner office. No doubt because of your attention to detail.
Vocabulary lists containing notice
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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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:
When people notice his plentiful bruises, Almásy makes up excuses, leading them to think he’s a klutz.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
On day three, I started to notice something similar among all three brands: staying power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
With their dated decor, hotel-like hallways, overhead ceiling tiles and abandoned office spaces, the Backrooms resemble the overlooked non-places of modern life – spaces many people recognize but rarely notice.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
“The recall notice that Taylor Farms put up was striking to me in terms of the lack of information being made available,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
In this wild scene, would anyone notice an ordinary-looking young man with a bad scar on his forehead holding an iron rod?
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
In a social media post, Manchester United Supporters' Trust said the club has "been sending out account suspensions and season-ticket cancellation notices to thousands of supporters".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
According to members of the Friends group, district officials took down the notices and then blocked inspectors from school property.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
I keep getting notices from Robinhood saying that someone is trying to change my email address.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Now that she is at the MTA, she says she notices less money being deducted from her paychecks for insurance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
She holds out her white-gloved hand, and Bailey notices that it is larger than the glove he was given as proof of a long-ago dare.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Party like it’s 1996: Have you noticed that you’re more in touch with your friends than ever before, but you’re not actually as close to them as you wish you were?
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
In the final weeks of Graham’s life, Holder said he noticed that Graham frequently looked tired, prompting Holder to ask if he was doing OK.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
While she has noticed more women studying Stem subjects, figures from Stem Women, external suggest the number working in those fields has risen only gradually.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
His discipline and attention to detail, mixed with the athleticism Randolph noticed when watching him play basketball, made Wallace the perfect candidate to play football.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Torak noticed that he made it sound as if he, not Oslak had caught ‘the thief’.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
But it is also the quieter skill of noticing when the building is complete and putting down the hammer.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
“It happens on a daily basis,” says Eric Bahn, a venture capitalist in San Francisco who started noticing it about a year ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
That was when the first outbreaks we were noticing happened.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
The family started noticing Stiles was forgetting things and asking the same question several times in his late 50s and early 60s.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
“It’s the bar,” Mary said, noticing how I was craning to see what it was.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Definitions 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.
