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to notify

to notify

367 3.1
Tell someone about something, often in an official way
  • verb
  • /ˈnoʊtɪfaɪ/
  • Formal
translation icon : notificar a
  • I will notify you when the meeting starts.
  • notify parents
  • fail to notify
  • notify the landlord

Or they just don't notify you when I post videos.

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Examples

  • Do you have to notify your partner if you become pregnant?

  • I will notify you if there are any developments.

  • Would you like me to notify you just right now?

  • I still think I should notify the radio and television...

  • The clerk will notify you about our next meeting.

  • If they continued to perform risky procedures, they were to notify patients of their condition.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Investors are of course notified of these risks if they read the funds prospectus.

  • Local high school coaches and sports club coaches were contacted and notified of the study.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The jury has notified the judge that they've reached a verdict.

  • Shortly thereafter, the landlord notified Melissa that she had to move out within thirty days.

    Academic text (1991)

Synonyms

to tell
vsto notify
1.0

Give someone information

is used for formal official informing rather than casual verbal statements
to inform
vsto notify
1.0

To tell someone about a fact or situation

is reserved for official announcements rather than ordinary information sharing
to let me know
vsto notify
637 1.8

Tell me when something changes or you have news

is a formal announcement sent to others, not a request for updates
to advise
vsto notify
  • Formal
297 2.7

Tell someone officially about something

focuses on official announcement rather than offering guidance or opinion
to alert
vsto notify
255 2.3

To warn someone about a possible danger or problem

is broader official informing rather than focusing only on danger warnings
to let us know
vsto notify
155 1.0

To tell us something so we can answer

serves as an official announcement from authorities rather than a listener request
to apprise
vsto notify
  • Formal
22 7.4

To tell someone about news or a change

is used in official contexts rather than general information giving
to give notice
vsto notify
  • Formal
20 3.7

Formally tell someone that you plan to leave a job or move out

applies to official informing more broadly beyond just professional contexts
to serve notice
vsto notify
  • Formal
5 6.5

To give someone an official written letter telling them about a change or end of an agreement

is official informing that need not always be delivered in writing
to clue in
vsto notify
1 3.9

To tell someone about something they did not know

is an official notice, not simply updating someone about unknown facts
to apprize
vsto notify
  • Formal
9.9

To tell someone about something

is an official act done formally rather than informal informing

Antonyms

282 3.7

To hide something so others cannot see or find it

How Formal

to proclaim
  • Formal
229 5.3
to announce
1.5
to notify
  • Formal
367 3.1
to inform
1.0
to tell
1.0

Surface Forms

notify infinitive
notified past
notified past participle
notifying present participle
notifies third person singular

Morphology

notify = note (transparent) = noti + fy

The verb is formed from the combining form noti-/note plus the productive suffix -fy meaning 'make/cause to be', so 'notify' ('make known') is directly derivable.

Etymology

Notify comes from the Latin root notus meaning 'known' and the ending -fy meaning 'to make', so it means 'to make known'. Think of the word note, which has the same root; that's why to notify someone is to officially let them know about something.