notification

American  

[noh-tuh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˌnoʊ tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of notifying or informing someone of something; notice.

   Lawyers have a duty of notification in cases where a document is accidentally sent to them.

   Authors submitting work must expect to wait up to three months before notification of acceptance.

   The policy requires prompt notification of the insurer in case of an accident.

2. a written or printed notice, announcement, or warning.

   Notifications were mailed to the winners.

3. Digital Technology. a programmed message or alert sent on an electronic device to inform the user of something.

---

notification British  

/ ˌnəʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of notifying

2. a formal announcement

3. something that notifies; a notice

---

Other Word Forms

• nonnotification noun
• renotification noun

Etymology

Origin of notification

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English notificacioun, from Medieval Latin nōtificātiōn-, stem of nōtificātiō, from nōtificāt(us) “made known” (past participle of nōtificāre “to make known”; notify ) + -iō -ion

Explanation

A notification is a formal notice, request, or warning. You might get a notification from your landlord that you need to shovel the snow on your sidewalk, or a notification from your school that you've won an award. Some notifications arrive in the form of a letter in your mailbox, while others are verbal (you might get a phone call that's a notification that your cat is due for a shot at the vet), and many more are sent as emails or other electronic messages. The Latin source is notificare , "to make known," which comes from the roots notus, "known," and facere, "make."

Example Sentences

Wood’s ARK Invest bought 85,485 shares in Palantir across five exchange-traded funds, according to a daily trade notification.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

ARK sold 3,578 Meta shares across three of its funds, according to a trading notification Wednesday.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

County Office of Emergency Management officials acknowledged the text message from Vaquero and said it related to an earlier discussion among emergency management partners and the weather service about possibly sending a weather preparedness notification.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

But he criticized the statistics agency for changing its approach without notification.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

A notification appears on my screen from her app, telling me to take my midmorning meds.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

Related Words

• bulletin
• notice
• proclamation
• warning