Etymologically
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noteworthy

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 15:29. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈnəʊtˌwɜːði/[1]
  • US: /ˈnoʊtˌwɝði/[1]

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

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