notify

/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪ/

to inform someone of something

The system will notify you when the update is ready.

This means the system will send you a message when the update is complete.

formal

to give someone official or formal information about something

The company notified its employees about the policy changes.

The company informed its employees about the new policies.

Often used in legal, business, or official contexts.

informal

to alert someone about an event or update, often through digital means

My phone notified me about a new message.

My phone alerted me that I had received a new message.

Common in technology and everyday communication.

Collocations

notify someone of somethingto inform someone about a specific matternotify in advanceto inform someone before an event occurs

to inform someone about a specific matter

to inform someone before an event occurs

Use 'notify' in formal contexts like legal or business settings, while in casual conversation, 'inform' or 'alert' may be more natural.

'Notify' typically follows the structure 'notify [someone] of [something]'. For example, 'The manager notified the team of the meeting.'

From Latin 'notificare', meaning 'to make known', from 'notus' (known) + 'facere' (to make).

Can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but formal usage often implies official communication.

noti-

known

root

-fy

to make

suffix

English Dictionary