Notice — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈnō-təs/ no·tice

Meaning & Definition of Notice

Notice (noun)

  1. warning or intimation of something, announcement
  2. the announcement of a party's intention to quit an agreement or relation at a specified time
  3. the condition of being warned or notified —usually used in the phrase on notice

Notice (verb)

  1. to give notice of
  2. to comment upon
  3. review

Notice (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes

    "did you notice what she was wearing?"

    similar: behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, spy, view, witness, get a load of (slang), lay eyes on, set eyes on
    related: identify, make out, pick out, pick up, attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind, study, watch, examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey, glance (at), glimpse, peer (at)
    near: disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over, miss, overlook

  2. to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically

    "briefly noticed in his lecture the author's first published work"

    similar: advert (to), cite, drop, instance, mention, name, note, quote, refer (to), specify, touch (on or upon)
    related: allude (to), hint (at), imply, indicate, infer, intend, intimate, suggest, point (out), signal, signify, denominate, designate, bring up, broach, interject, interpolate, interpose, introduce, infiltrate, insinuate, worm, advertise, announce, broadcast, declare, proclaim, pronounce, publicize, publish, sound, clarify, clear (up), elucidate, explain, explicate, spell out
    near: disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight

Notice (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a published statement informing the public of a matter of general interest

    "a public safety notice regarding the need for a smoke detector in the home"

    similar: ad, advert (chiefly British), advertisement, announcement, bulletin, communiqué, notification, posting, release
    related: broadside, brochure, circular, flyer, fly sheet, gazette (British), handbill, handout, bill, billboard, placard, playbill, poster, show bill, sign, broadcast, cablecast, newscast, telecast, advertising, billing, blurb, come-on, commercial, message, pitch, plugola, spot, word, communication, dispatch, report, annunciation, declaration, edict, proclamation, promulgation, pronouncement, pronunciamento, rescript, signification, ballyhoo, boost, buildup, campaign, plug, promo, promotion, propaganda, publicity

  2. a state of being aware

    "this malicious e-mail will be brought to the notice of the department head"

    similar: advertence, advertency, attention, awareness, cognizance, consciousness, ear, eye, heed, knowledge, mindfulness, note, observance, observation
    related: hyperawareness, hyperconsciousness, advisement, care, concern, consideration, regard, watch, apprehension, discernment, grasp, mind, perception, recognition, thought, understanding
    near: disregard, neglect, obliviousness, unawareness

  3. a written communication giving information or directions

    "received a notice of promotion from the head of the company"

    similar: directive, memo, memorandum
    related: announcement, bulletin, declaration, notification, posting, proclamation, pronouncement, release, dispatch, report, edict, pronunciamento, rescript, charge, command, dictate, directions, instructions, orders, word, encyclical, epistle, jotting, letter, mail, message, missive, note, post (chiefly British)

  4. an essay evaluating or analyzing something

    "avidly reads the latest theater notices in the paper"

    similar: criticism, critique, examen, review
    related: column, commentary, editorial, punditry, appraisal, assessment, evaluation, analysis, examination, opinion, outline, study, survey

  5. the act or an instance of telling beforehand of danger or risk

    "in the event of a terrorist threat, the building will be evacuated with little notice beforehand"

    similar: admonishment, admonition, alarm, alert, caution, forewarning, heads-up, warning
    related: auguring, augury, forecasting, foretelling, predicting, prediction, premonition, presaging, prognosticating, prophecy, prophesying, apprising, informing, notification, notifying, tip-off, advice, counsel, guidance, recommendation, suggestion, tip, announcement, declaration

Related Entry: Give notice (phrase)

Give notice is a different word from Notice. The synonyms below are for give notice, not for notice.

  1. to give up (a job or office)

    "I gave notice at the company and am starting my own business."

    similar: bag, chuck, leave, quit, resign (from), retire (from), step aside (from), step down (from)
    related: abandon, vacate, drop out (of), throw up
    opposite: stay (at)
    near: hire (out or on)

Related Entry: Given notice (phrase)

Given notice is a different word from Notice. The synonyms below are for given notice, not for notice.

  1. to give up (a job or office)

    "I gave notice at the company and am starting my own business."

    similar: bagged, chucked, left, quit, resigned (from), retired (from), stepped aside (from), stepped down (from)
    related: abandoned, vacated, dropped out (of), thrown up
    opposite: stayed (at)
    near: hired (out or on)

Related Entry: Gave notice (phrase)

Gave notice is a different word from Notice. The synonyms below are for gave notice, not for notice.

  1. to give up (a job or office)

    "I gave notice at the company and am starting my own business."

    similar: bagged, chucked, left, quit, resigned (from), retired (from), stepped aside (from), stepped down (from)
    related: abandoned, vacated, dropped out (of), threw up
    opposite: stayed (at)
    near: hired (out or on)

Related Entry: Gives notice (phrase)

Gives notice is a different word from Notice. The synonyms below are for gives notice, not for notice.

  1. to give up (a job or office)

    "I gave notice at the company and am starting my own business."

    similar: bags, chucks, leaves, quits, resigns (from), retires (from), steps aside (from), steps down (from)
    related: abandons, vacates, drops out (of), throws up
    opposite: stays (at)
    near: hires (out or on)

Related Entry: Giving notice (phrase)

Giving notice is a different word from Notice. The synonyms below are for giving notice, not for notice.

  1. to give up (a job or office)

    "I gave notice at the company and am starting my own business."

    similar: bagging, chucking, leaving, quitting, resigning (from), retiring (from), stepping aside (from), stepping down (from)
    related: abandoning, vacating, dropping out (of), throwing up
    opposite: staying (at)
    near: hiring (out or on)

Related Entry: Take (verb)

Take is a different word from Notice. The synonyms below are for take, not for notice.

  1. to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms

    "take my hand, or we'll get separated in this crowd"

    similar: clasp, grasp, grip, hold, hang on to, lay hold of
    related: clench, cling (to), clutch, hold on (to), catch, nab, seize, snatch
    near: discharge, drop, free, liberate, release, deliver, entrust, give, hand, hand over, pass, relinquish, transfer, transmit, turn over, unhand

  2. to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly

    "will you take that call?"

    "took a cut in pay"

    similar: accept, have
    related: accede (to), assent (to), concede (to), confirm, consent (to), OK, ratify, sanction, warrant, acquiesce (to), bow (to), capitulate (to), give in (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to), abide, bear, brook, countenance, endure, shoulder, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, swallow, sweat out, tolerate, adopt, embrace, welcome
    opposite: decline, deny, disallow, disapprove, negative, refuse, reject, spurn, turn down, veto
    near: dissent (to), object (to), oppose, protest, hold off, resist, withstand, combat, contest, fight

  3. to become affected with (a disease or disorder)

    "if you don't cover your head in this weather, you'll take cold and be stuck inside all weekend"

    similar: catch, come down (with), contract, get, go down (with) (chiefly British), sicken (with)
    related: break out (with), die (from), succumb (to), fail, languish, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, worsen
    near: come back, gain, heal, mend, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back, rally, rebound, recover (from), shake (off)

  4. to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities

    "you can take the white side this time, since I got to be white for our last chess game"

    similar: cherry-pick, choose, cull, elect, handpick, name, opt (for), pick, prefer, select, single (out), tag
    related: preselect, appoint, designate, fix, mark, nominate, set, tab, tap, accept, adopt, embrace, espouse, settle (on or upon)
    opposite: decline, refuse, reject, turn down
    near: disapprove, negative, repudiate, spurn, discard, jettison, throw away, throw out

  5. to get possession of (something) by giving money in exchange for

    "I'll take two cheeseburgers to go, please"

    similar: buy, cop (slang), pick up, purchase
    related: acquire, gain, garner, get, obtain, procure, secure, win, finance, pay (for), spring (for), barter (for), deal (for), dicker (over), exchange (for), haggle (for), negotiate (about), trade (for), bargain (with), chaffer (with), horse-trade (with), palter (with), bid, offer, rebuy, repurchase
    near: deal (in), market, merchandise, retail, sell, vend

  6. to have as a requirement

    "it will take a lot of courage to stand up for what is right"

    similar: bear, challenge, claim, demand, necessitate, need, require, want, warrant, call for
    related: entail, involve, ask, beg, clamor (for), cry (for), hurt (for), lack, command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate
    opposite: have, hold
    near: own, possess

  7. to make or have room for

    "I think we can take two more in this elevator"

    similar: accommodate, fit, hold
    related: carry, contain, seat, enclose, encompass, enfold, harbor, house

  8. to produce a desired effect

    "it will be a few hours before this medication takes"

    similar: act, operate, perform, work, take effect, take hold
    related: behave, react, respond, affect, influence, sway, pan out, redound, result
    near: backfire, fizzle

  9. to put up with (something painful or difficult)

    "I can't take anymore of your whining about your former boyfriend"

    similar: abide, absorb, accept, bear, bide (chiefly dialect), brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, tolerate, wear (British), live with, lump (it), stand for, tough it out
    related: allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)
    near: decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

  10. to regard as right or true

    "I think we can take his word for it"

    similar: accept, believe, buy, credit, swallow, trust, set store by
    related: account, accredit, understand, assume, presume, suppose, conclude, deduce, infer
    opposite: disbelieve, discredit, reject
    near: distrust, doubt, misdoubt, mistrust, question, suspect, challenge, dispute

  11. to achieve a victory over

    "I know we can take that team"

    similar: beat, best, conquer, defeat, dispatch, do down (British), get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, subdue, surmount, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worst, get the better of, knock for a loop
    related: sweep, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), annihilate, blow away, blow out, bomb, break, bury, clobber, cream, crush, drub, finish, flatten, overwhelm, rout, shellac, skin, slaughter, smoke (slang), snow under, thrash, trounce, upset, wallop, wax (slang), whip, cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, subjugate, unseat, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend
    opposite: lose (to)
    near: fall, give up, go down, go under, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, wash out

  12. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "let's take each problem separately"

    similar: address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, handle, manage, maneuver, manipulate, negotiate, play, swing, treat, come to grips with, have a grip on
    related: engineer, finesse, jockey, bring off, carry off, carry out, get off, pull, command, direct, guide, steer, control, micromanage, regulate, run, react (to), respond (to)
    near: botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp

  13. to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to

    "the school takes only a small percentage of the thousands of applicants"

    similar: admit, enter, receive
    related: entertain, welcome, fellowship, confirm, ratify
    opposite: ban, bar
    near: decline, disallow, disapprove, dismiss, refuse, reject, blackball, blacklist, ostracize, banish, deport, exile, expel, oust, throw out

  14. to deprive of life

    "I never thought heart disease would take such an athletic and health-conscious person"

    similar: carry off, claim, croak (slang), destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, kill, slay, do away with, do for (chiefly British), make away with
    related: bump off, butcher, cut down, finish, get, ice (slang), knock off, murder, neutralize, off (slang), put away, rub out, scrag, snuff, take out, waste, whack (slang), annihilate, blot out, decimate, kill off, massacre, mow, slaughter, smite, assassinate, execute, martyr, terminate, euthanize, put down, suicide
    opposite: animate
    near: raise, restore, resurrect, resuscitate, revive, nurture

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Notice

The most common words with a similar meaning to Notice:

Slang: get a load of
Chiefly British: advert
behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, spy, view, witness, advert (to), cite, drop, instance, mention, name, quote, refer (to), specify, touch (on or upon), lay eyes on, set eyes on, ad, advertisement, announcement, bulletin, communiqué, notification, posting, release, advertence

Related Words for Notice

identify, make out, pick out, pick up, attend (to), consider, mark, mind, study, watch, examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey, glance (at), glimpse, peer (at), allude (to), hint (at), imply, indicate, infer, intend, intimate, suggest, point (out), signal, signify, denominate

Near Antonyms of Notice

disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over, miss, overlook, forget, slight, obliviousness, unawareness

Word Forms of Notice

Inflections: noticed, noticing, notices

Derived words: noticer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Notice

Middle English, from Anglo-French, knowledge, notification, from Latin notitia acquaintance, awareness, from notus known, from past participle of noscere to come to know know

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Notice

Words & Phrases Containing Notice

notice to quit, take notice, at a moment's/minute's notice, at short notice, at such short notice, bring (something) to someone's notice, come to public notice, escape someone's notice

Frequently Asked Questions about Notice

What does "Notice" mean?

"Notice" means warning or intimation of something, announcement. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: warning or intimation of something, announcement. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Notice"?

Other words for "Notice" include behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye and look (at). The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Notice" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Notice"?

There are 229 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Notice". Common alternatives include behold, catch, descry, discern, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note and observe.

How do you use "Notice" in a sentence?

Examples of "Notice" in a sentence: "did you notice what she was wearing?"; "briefly noticed in his lecture the author's first published work"; "a public safety notice regarding the need for a smoke detector in the home".

Is "Notice" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Notice" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Notice" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Notice" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Notice"?

"Notice" is pronounced /ˈnō-təs/ and divided into syllables as no·tice.

What is the origin of the word "Notice"?

"Notice" comes from Middle English, from Anglo-French, knowledge, notification, from Latin notitia acquaintance, awareness, from notus known, from past participle of noscere to come to know know. First known use: 15th century.