to serve notice
5
6.5
- phrasal verb
- Formal
:
notificar
- In doing this, the Nimiipuu served notice with their behavior that they wanted to be treated as equals in the treaty negotiations.
You have just served notice on the devil that you've taken a first step toward God.
- You have just served notice on the devil that you've taken a first step toward God.
Examples
-
Before taking legal action, the company must serve notice to the employees about the upcoming changes.
-
The organization issued a letter to serve notice to all members regarding the new policy updates.
-
Well, I might as well serve notice right at the start.
-
That at least serves notice to the buyer that you are aware of copyright law.
Academic text (1995) -
On May 10, the judge wrote an order authorizing Mpafe to serve notice of process to her.
Academic text (2011) -
The report serves notice to all Arab countries regarding what it calls the 'silent threat' of HIV/AIDS.
Academic text (2004) -
By issuing the proclamation, the argument goes, Lincoln effectively served notice to the rebel states that the war was now about saving the Union and abolishing slavery.
Academic text (1999) -
As leader of the Consumerist Forces, I hereby serve notice on the Micah Whites of the world that we Consumerists will not surrender without a fight!
Blog text (13) -
Thus, Quinn's alarmist message will serve notice to federally recognized tribes that there is an unknown number of "bogus" Indian tribes out there that somehow represent a threat.
Academic text (1991) -
The landlord decided to serve notice to the tenants, informing them that their lease would not be renewed.
Synonyms
367
3.1
Tell someone about something, often in an official way
297
2.7
Tell someone officially about something
92
7.5
To give someone an official court paper in the correct legal way
22
7.4
To tell someone about news or a change
20
3.7
Formally tell someone that you plan to leave a job or move out
Antonyms
How Official
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'serve' (to hand over/deliver, especially legally) combined with 'notice' (an official written statement) yields the clear sense of giving formal notification. This follows a regular legal/action + object pattern that a B1 learner who knows both words can reliably infer.
Etymology
Serve notice comes from the courts, where a person would hand an official paper directly to someone. To serve a notice was to give that paper in person, so 'to formally inform someone, usually with a written warning' is the meaning today.