First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
notify
verb no·ti·fy \ˈnō-tə-ˌfī\
: to tell (someone) officially about something
no·ti·fiedno·ti·fy·ing
Full Definition of NOTIFY
transitive verb
1
obsolete : to point out
2
: to give notice of or report the occurrence of <he notified his intention to sue>
3
: to give formal notice to <notify a family of the death of a relation>
— no·ti·fi·er \-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun
See notify defined for English-language learners
See notify defined for kids
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Origin of NOTIFY
Middle English notifien, from Anglo-French notifier to make known, from Late Latin notificare, from Latin notus known
Synonym Discussion of NOTIFY
inform, acquaint, apprise, notify mean to make one aware of something. inform implies the imparting of knowledge especially of facts or occurrences <informed us of the crisis>. acquaint lays stress on introducing to or familiarizing with <acquaint yourself with the keyboard>. apprise implies communicating something of special interest or importance <keep us apprised of the situation>. notify implies sending notice of something requiring attention or demanding action <notified the witness when to appear>.
Rhymes with NOTIFY
abide by, Adonai, alibi, alkali, amplify, apple-pie, argufy, assegai, azo dye, basify, beautify, butterfly, by-and-by, caddis fly, calcify, certify, Chou En-lai, citify, clarify, classify, coalify, cockneyfy, codify, college try, cottage pie, crucify, cut-and-try, cutie-pie, DIY, damnify, damselfly, dandify, deify, densify, dignify, dobsonfly, do-or-die, dragonfly, dulcify, eagle eye, edify, evil eye, falsify, fancify, fortify, frenchify, fructify, gasify, Gemini, gentrify, glorify, goggle-eye, goldeneye, gratify, Haggai, harvest fly, hexerei, high and dry, hip and thigh, Hokusai, hook and eye, horrify, hoverfly, humble pie, Iceni, justify, kiss good-bye, lazy eye, lignify, liquefy, lithify, Lorelei, lullaby, Madurai, magnify, Malachi, Maracay, minify, modify, mollify, Molokai, Mordecai, mortify, multi-ply, multiply, mummify, mystify, nazify, nullify, occupy, old school tie, on standby, on the fly, ossify, overbuy, overfly, overlie, pacify, Paraguay, passerby, peccavi, petrify, PPI, preachify, prettify, private eye, prophesy, purify, putrefy, qualify, quantify, ramify, rarefy, ratify, RBI, rectify, reify, res gestae, robber fly, runner's high, Russify, samurai, sanctify, satisfy, scarify, schwarmerei, semidry, set store by, shepherd's pie, shoofly pie, signify, simplify, Spanish fly, specify, speechify, stratify, stultify, stupefy, sweetie pie, Tenebrae, terrify, testify, tie-and-dye, tigereye, Trans Alai, tumble dry, typify, uglify, underlie, unify, Uruguay, Veneti, verify, versify, vilify, vinify, vitrify, vivify, weather eye, Windsor tie, xanthene dye, yuppify, zombify
NOTIFYING Defined for Kids
notify
verb no·ti·fy \ˈnō-tə-ˌfī\
no·ti·fiedno·ti·fy·ing
Definition of NOTIFY for Kids
: to give notice to : inform <Please notify the school of your new address.>
Medical Dictionary
notify
transitive verb no·ti·fy \ˈnōt-ə-ˌfī\
no·ti·fiedno·ti·fy·ing
Medical Definition of NOTIFY
1
British : to report the occurrence of (a case of communicable disease) or the occurrence of communicable disease in (an individual) <all cases of disease should be notified by the treating consultant—Practitioner>
2
: to give formal notice to <the Broward County Public Health Unit…was notified of three children…hospitalized with encephalitis attributed to cat scratch disease—Journal of the American Medical Association>
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