notable

notable — adjective

1. good, interesting, or important enough to deserve being noticed or remembered; s

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

good, interesting, or important enough to deserve being noticed or remembered; standing out from the ordinary because of a particular quality.

Example

One notable feature of the new park is the large children's playground.

notable feature collocation

The museum has a notable collection of eighteenth-century furniture from across Europe.

notable + collection

Common collocations
  • notable feature
  • notable achievement
  • notable exception
  • notable success
  • notable contribution
  • notable example
  • notable absence
Synonyms
  • remarkable

    stronger emphasis on being unusual or surprising; 'remarkable' often suggests something that makes people stop and comment

  • noteworthy

    more neutral and slightly more formal; focuses on the fact that something deserves to be recorded or mentioned

  • prominent

    used especially for people or things that are widely known or physically stand out; 'prominent' often suggests visibility

  • outstanding

    focuses on excellence and superiority; stronger evaluative tone than 'notable'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

notable + noun

be notable

notable for + noun-phrase / gerund

it is notable that + clause

Usage Note

Often followed by 'for' to give the reason something stands out. The pattern 'it is notable that…' is common in formal and academic writing to introduce a surprising or important fact.

Common Mistakes

There was a notable scratch on the table.
There was a noticeable scratch on the table.
'notable' implies importance or significance; a small mark that can be seen but is not important needs 'noticeable' instead.
She is notable for to raise money.
She is notable for raising money.
the preposition 'for' must be followed by a noun phrase or gerund, never a bare infinitive.

notable — noun

Word family

  • notably
    adverbB2
  • notability
    nounC1
  • unnotable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe something or someone that stands out, but they differ in focus. 'Notable' is the most neutral and general — it simply means worthy of attention (a notable increase in sales). 'Prominent' emphasizes visibility and being widely known, especially in a public or professional context (a prominent lawyer in the city). 'Distinguished' adds a layer of respect and dignity, often earned through long achievement (a distinguished professor with forty years of service). 'Remarkable' stresses unusualness or the power to provoke comment (a remarkable recovery from injury). 'Noteworthy' is close to 'notable' but slightly more formal and often used for individual facts or details (a noteworthy detail in the report). For everyday use, 'notable' is the safest choice; 'remarkable' is strongest in emotional impact; 'prominent' is best when visibility is the key idea.

notable ↗prominent ↗distinguished ↗remarkable ↗noteworthy

Common collocations

Nouns

  • notable figure
  • notable exception
  • notable achievement
  • notable feature
  • notable success
  • notable contribution
  • notable absence
  • notable example

Adverbs

  • particularly notable
  • especially notable
  • most notable
  • quite notable
  • equally notable

Phrases

  • notable by its absence
  • it is notable that

Prepositions

  • notable for
  • notable among
  • notable in

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Notable comes from the Latin word notabilis, meaning 'worthy of notice or remark.' That word is built on notare ('to note, mark, or observe'), which in turn comes from nota ('a mark, sign, or written note'). The English word entered the language around the 1300s through Old French notable. The noun sense ('a person of importance') developed later in the 1600s, shifting from 'something worth noting' to 'someone worth knowing.'