notify
Americanverb (used with object)
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notifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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notified,
past participle, past
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notifying
present participle
verb
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to inform; tell
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to draw attention to; make known; announce
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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notifiernoun
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prenotifyverb (used with object)
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renotifyverb (used with object)
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notifiableadjective
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unnotifiedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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notifysimple
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notifiessimple
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have notifiedperfect
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has notifiedperfect
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am notifyingprogressive
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are notifyingprogressive
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is notifyingprogressive
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have been notifyingperfect progressive
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has been notifyingperfect progressive
Past
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notifiedsimple
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had notifiedperfect
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was notifyingprogressive
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were notifyingprogressive
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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
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Louisiana’s Way Home
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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 contract requires studios to notify actors before using their voices to create a replica.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
Producers must notify the union in advance and prove the AI character brings “significant additional value” to the role.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
Answer #2: Speaking of the executor, yes, it is generally your duty to notify the bank or other financial institutions of your mother-in-law’s death and provide the death certificate and other legal documents they require.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
One half would be kept with the soldier, while the other would be sent to German army authorities, which tracked German military casualties and would notify relatives of soldiers' deaths.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Sometimes an owner forgets we are coming or forgets to leave a key under the mat or changes his or her mind about the service without thinking to notify Ted.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
An automaker notifies owners that their vehicle contains a defect and needs to be repaired.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The IRS notifies households of penalties by a written letter sent through the mail.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
One caveat is that the law requires that “the pupil notifies the school ahead of the absence.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 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
The incessant blowing of a trumpet or horn similar to that of the tally-ho notifies the watchman of the approach of boats.
From Odd Bits of Travel with Brush and Camera by Jr.
“We held the agency accountable, made things right for every customer involved, ensured each was notified directly and provided direct customer support along with courtesy Bilt Points,” a spokesman said.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026
When a parent tunes in, both the teen and the driver will be notified.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
There were 112 deaths of care leavers aged 18 to 24 notified in 2025, which the review said equalled about 130 deaths per 100,000 care leavers.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
“As soon as we were notified, by Benn’s YouTube video, we immediately fixed the problem,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
The Boston draft board had written me at Ella’s, and when they had no results there, had notified the New York draft board, and, in care of Sammy, I received Uncle Sam’s Greetings.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Companies wouldn’t be blocked from entering the market before notifying FDA, Diamantas said, while calling the notifications “mandatory.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
If you do discover an unauthorized charge on your debit card, notifying your bank or credit union within two business days of noticing the fraud caps your maximum liability at $50.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Under California law, leaving the scene of a property-damage-only collision without exchanging information or notifying authorities can result in misdemeanor penalties if charges are filed.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
In April, Kil received a letter from the university notifying her she was under investigation for the Feb. 19 protest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Acting under the Michigan pest control law which allows the state to spray indiscriminately without notifying or gaining permission of individual landowners, the low-lying planes began to fly over the Detroit area.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
