notice
Americannoun
-
notices
plural
-
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.
-
information or warning of something, especially for wide attention.
to give notice of one's departure.
- Synonyms:
- announcement, notification, news, advice
-
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
-
interested or favorable attention.
to take notice of an unusual feature in the design of a building.
-
critical attention, appraisal, or evaluation.
Only a few of the entries were singled out for notice.
-
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)
-
notices,
present (3rd person singular)
-
noticed,
past participle, past
-
noticing
present participle
-
to pay attention to or take notice of.
Did you notice her hat?
-
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.
-
to mention or refer to; point out.
a circumstance that was noticed in an earlier chapter.
-
to give notice to; serve with a notice.
to notice a person that his taxes are overdue.
noun
-
the act of perceiving; observation; attention
to escape notice
-
to pay attention; attend
-
to ignore or disregard
-
information about a future event; warning; announcement
-
a displayed placard or announcement giving information
-
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
-
with notification only two hours in advance
-
dismissal from employment
-
favourable, interested, or polite attention
she was beneath his notice
-
a theatrical or literary review
the play received very good notices
verb
-
to become conscious or aware of; perceive; note
-
to point out or remark upon
-
to pay polite or interested attention to
-
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
-
noticesimple
-
noticessimple
-
have noticedperfect
-
has noticedperfect
-
am noticingprogressive
-
are noticingprogressive
-
is noticingprogressive
-
have been noticingperfect progressive
-
has been noticingperfect progressive
Past
-
noticedsimple
-
had noticedperfect
-
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
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!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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!
"The Challenge"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
She grew up in Redondo Beach before her family moved to Palos Verdes so the sisters could attend the high school there, according to a notice by Eickenhorst Funeral Services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Investors should take notice, as it could mean the top for yields is in.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The contracts are scheduled to begin trading on Dec. 7, says ICE in a notice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Few Americans have probably heard of Yandex, let alone use its services, and most likely didn’t notice when many of its hosted websites became inaccessible.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026
It’s only when I’ve emptied the whole box that I notice something I hadn’t spotted before.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
![]()
"Anyone who notices hair shedding, an itchy or red scalp or nail changes should mention it to their doctor rather than discontinue therapy."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
She said she, her son and her daughter received notices this year from election authorities that their names had been flagged for discrepancies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Investigative journalist Nozha Khelalef has been gathering the names of those believed to have died in the fires from death notices posted by families and information shared by some local authorities.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
In addition to California, the company partners with 11 other states to report methane super emitters, but Duren said California is the only state with a program that sends out notices to enforce its regulations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Ben or Meadowlark notices, neither of them says anything.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
![]()
She noticed that Jack, who normally looked back at her while he was going into school, turned and looked a second time and issued the same line as his brother.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
“I’ve been dating quite a bit as of late, and I’ve noticed a disturbing trend.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Then she noticed someone wearing what appeared to be a Hamas headband.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
After producing tetraploid cells from human cancer cells and establishing colonies derived from individual cells, he noticed that the resulting groups were not all the same size.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
That’s why they avoided him, feeling relief when they weren’t noticed.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
![]()
"This year feels like the real first year people have been noticing climate change," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Anyone who cares should start watching carefully, noticing which cases the court takes, what the justices say at argument, and what they do through less visible emergency orders.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
Litman and other Run for Something staffers first began noticing that candidates in their pipeline were identifying themselves as renters around 2023.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Then he began noticing changes in the way he walked.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
You watch him for a minute, noticing how he helps carry chairs, how he seems to know everyone.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
![]()
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.