Etymologically
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notification

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 15:17. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ˌnəʊ.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, US /ˌnoʊ.t̬ə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English notificacioun, borrowed from Old French notificacion and directly Medieval Latin nōtificātiō,[2][3] from the past participle stem of Latin nōtificō (“to make known”) (see notify).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The action of making known: about 1374 in the OED.[4] Etymonline gives a sign or token, late 14th century.[2]

Semantic evolution

The act of imparting information is from the early 15th century.[2] Taking notice (1659) is a rare obsolete sense.[4] Today a notification is also an alert on a phone or tablet showing new messages or updates.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1374 – a making known.[4]
  • early 15th century – imparting information.[2]
  • 1659 – taking notice (obsolete).[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The act of notifying.
  2. A formal announcement; a notice.
  3. Usually in the plural, an alert on a phone or other device showing new messages or updates.

Word family

  • nonnotification
  • prenotification
  • renotification

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins