Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
nota bene

nota bene

9.9
A short note to draw attention to an important point
  • noun
  • /ˈnoʊtə ˈbeɪneɪ/
  • Formal
translation icon : nota bene
  • He added a nota bene in the margin to highlight the key rule.

Examples

  • The instructions included a nota bene about the strict deadline.

  • Please take a moment to read this nota bene carefully.

  • Please nota bene that the office will be closed for renovations next week.

  • This is a crucial nota bene for our project.

  • Nota bene: Remember to check the expiration date on your food items before purchasing them.

  • The report had a section titled 'nota bene' to highlight the key findings.

  • For the next meeting, I included a nota bene to emphasize the agenda changes.

Synonyms

to note
vsnota bene
951 1.6

To say or write something to make people notice it

focuses more on marking special importance rather than simple mention
NB
vsnota bene
  • Formal
3 7.1

A short written note that tells the reader to notice something important

is written fully as the Latin words rather than a shortened form
N.B.
vsnota bene
  • Formal
7.5

A short message that tells you to pay close attention to what follows

has identical meaning but is written out as a full Latin phrase

Surface Forms

nota bene singular
nota benes plural

Morphology

nota + bene

The phrase literally combines Latin nota (‘note’) + bene (‘well’) and directly means 'note well' — the meaning is compositional and derivable from the constituents. Although it's a Latin loan used in formal registers, the logic parallels equivalent constructions in many languages, so a learner who knows the component meanings will understand the MWE.

Etymology

Nota bene comes from Latin. nota means 'note' and bene means 'well', and old writers would write nota bene in the margins to mark important points. That's why today nota bene is used to tell readers to 'note well' or pay special attention.