notify

notify — verb

1. to formally give someone important information, typically in writing or through

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to formally give someone important information, typically in writing or through an official procedure

Example

Emily notified the school office of her daughter's change of address.

notify + person + of + noun phrase

The hospital notified us that the test results would take three days.

notify + person + that-clause

Common collocations
  • notify the police
  • notify the relevant authorities
  • notify the public
  • notify the owner
  • notify the next of kin
  • notify the landlord
  • notify the insurance company
  • notify the school
  • notify the employer
  • notify the customer
  • notify the patient
  • notify the committee
Synonyms
  • inform

    More general and neutral in tone; does not carry the same formal/official weight as 'notify'

  • advise

    Common in commercial and legal contexts, often implies guidance rather than a one-way announcement

  • alert

    Stronger sense of urgency or danger; implies the information requires immediate attention or action

  • tell

    Informal and general; suitable for everyday conversation but not for official or written communication

Antonyms
  • conceal

    To deliberately keep information hidden rather than sharing it

  • withhold

    To intentionally refuse to give information that someone has a right to know

Grammar Patterns

notify + person + of + noun phrase

notify + person + that-clause

be notified + by + method

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal, legal, or administrative contexts. The person receiving the information is always the direct object — you notify someone of something, not notify something to someone. In legal documents, 'notify' often carries a requirement to inform in writing or within a specified time frame.

Common Mistakes

Please notify to the manager about the change.
Please notify the manager of the change.
'notify' takes the person as a direct object; no preposition is needed before the person.
I notified him the news.
I notified him of the news.
When the information is a noun (not a clause), you must use 'of' to connect the person and the information.
The school notified about the holiday.
The school notified parents about the holiday.
'notify' always requires a direct object (the person being told), even when the context seems clear.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Notify' and 'inform' both mean giving information, but 'notify' implies a formal duty or official procedure — you notify the tax office, the police, or a school, usually in writing. 'Inform' is the neutral all-purpose word for passing facts to someone and covers both formal reports ('The doctor informed the family') and casual exchanges ('She informed me of the plan'). 'Advise' carries a commercial or advisory nuance: it suggests the information is guidance or a recommendation ('The bank advised him of the new interest rate'). 'Alert' adds a sense of urgency or danger ('The weather service alerted residents to the incoming storm'). In everyday conversation, 'tell' replaces all of them: no one says 'I notified my friend about the party' — they say 'I told my friend about the party.'

notify ↗inform ↗advise ↗alert ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • notify in advance
  • notify in writing
  • notify forthwith
  • notify without delay
  • prior notification

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

'Notify' comes from the Latin verb 'notificare', which combines 'notus' (known) and 'facere' (to make) — literally 'to make known'. It passed into English through Old French 'notifier'. The word has carried a formal and official sense since entering the language in the 1300s, distinguishing it from the simpler and older verb 'know' or the Germanic 'tell'.