noteworthy

Etymology

It is formed from English note + worthy.^[2][3][4][5] The OED and the Shorter Oxford take the first part as the noun note in its sense of notice or attention,^[2][4] Etymonline as the verb note, to observe.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Worthy of attention or notice; notable, remarkable: first recorded in 1552, in the Ordre of the Hospital of S. Bartholomewes.^[2][6] Dictionary.com dates it to 1545–55.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has stayed the same since the 16th century:^[2][3] something noteworthy deserves to be noticed, especially because of some special excellence.^[7][6][8] The derivatives noteworthily and noteworthiness are recorded from the late 19th century.^[4]

Timeline

• 1552 – worthy of notice, remarkable.^[2][6]
• late 19th century – noteworthily and noteworthiness.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Deserving attention or notice; notable, remarkable: The report makes several noteworthy points.^[8][6][2][9]

Word family

• noteworthily
• noteworthiness
• unnoteworthy

Related words

• note
• worthy
• notable

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
6. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
7. ^ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
8. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
9. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online 2024), 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt