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Notice in English: A Complete Guide to Its Meaning, Usage & Forms

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Certain English words carry exceptional versatility, and "notice" demonstrates this quality through its widespread application across communication contexts. Whether reading official announcements, participating in business meetings, or engaging in informal discussions, this fundamental term appears consistently throughout your English experience. Understanding its complete range empowers more sophisticated language use and clearer expression. This thorough guide examines all aspects of "notice in English," connecting essential meanings with practical implementation in contemporary communication.

I. What is Notice in English?
1. 1. Definition
2. 2. Word family
II. Words and phrases often associated with Notice in English
III. Most common structures of Notice in English
1. 1. Common structures
2. 2. The prepositions used with Notice in English
IV. Synonyms of Notice in English
V. Collocations go with Notice in English
VI. Exercises on Notice in English with detailed answers
1. 1. Exercises
2. 2. Answer
VII. Conclusion

I. What is Notice in English?

The word "notice" possesses a remarkable dual nature, functioning as both a noun and a verb with distinct yet interconnected meanings. This linguistic flexibility makes it essential for effective English communication across various contexts.

1. Definition

What is Notice in English? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Notice functions as a verb and a noun. Each part of speech carries a different meaning for Notice.

Notice functions as a verb, meaning: to see or become conscious of something or someone. For example: Tom waved at the girl but she didn't seem to notice.
Notice functions as a noun, meaning: (a board, piece of paper, etc. containing) information or instructions. For example: There was a large notice on the wall saying “No Parking”.

2. Word family

Understanding "notice" becomes more comprehensive when you explore its linguistic relatives that share similar roots and meanings.

Word family

Meaning

Example

Noticeable

(adjective)

easy to see or recognize

There has been a noticeable improvement in Jisoo's cooking.

Noticeably

(adverb)

in a way that is easily seen or noticed; clearly

Lisa had become noticeably thinner.

II. Words and phrases often associated with Notice in English

Below, PREP will share with Preppies the words/phrases that often come with Notice in English along with detailed illustrative examples. Find out now!

Words/phrases often associated with Notice in English	Meaning	Example
Take notice of	to give attention to something	Tom didn't take notice of the warning signs and got into trouble.
A week's/ month's/ … notice	Notice period is one week or month in advance	They require two months' notice if we wish to cancel your membership.
Without notice	No notification	Mary left her job without giving any notice to her employer.
Give someone notice	to ask someone who works for you to leave their job, usually after a particular period of time	The landlord gave the tenant one month's notice to vacate the apartment.
At a moment's notice	information or a warning given about something that is going to happen in the future	Smith is always ready to travel at a moment's notice for his job.
Until further notice		The office will be closed until further notice due to the power outage.
Give in/ hand in your notice	a letter or a statement saying that an employee will or must leave their job after a particular period of time	Lisa decided to give in her notice and pursue a new career opportunity.
Put someone on notice	to warn someone officially that something is going to happen, or could possibly happen	The leader put the employee on notice for continuously arriving late to work.
At short notice	only a short time before something happens	The conference was organized at short notice, but it was a great success.
Notice to quit	a formal letter saying that a person who is renting a property will or must leave it after a particular period	The landlord gave the tenant a notice to quit because of rent.
Serve notice (that)	to tell someone officially that they must do something, or that something is going to happen	The factory served notice that there will be layoffs in the coming month.

Words and phrases often associated with Notice in English

III. Most common structures of Notice in English

Understanding how "notice" combines with different grammatical structures and prepositions enables more precise and natural English expression across various communication contexts.

1. Common structures

Structure	Meaning	Example
Notice + somebody/something	Pay attention to or become aware of a person or object	Jessica noticed the intricate architectural details on the cathedral's facade during her morning walk.
Notice + somebody + base verb	Observe someone complete an entire action	The security cameras noticed the delivery driver leave the package at the front entrance.
Notice + somebody + V-ing	Observe someone in the process of doing something	The teacher noticed several students whispering during the examination period.
Notice + (that) + clause	Become aware of a situation or fact	Maria noticed that her colleague seemed unusually stressed about the upcoming presentation.

2. The prepositions used with Notice in English

In addition, Notice in English is also used with various prepositions. Let's explore some examples below!

2.1 Notice as a noun

When functioning as a noun, "notice" combines with specific prepositions to create precise meaning relationships in formal and informal communication.

Preposition	Usage Context	Example
Notice of	Official announcements about events or changes	The company issued a notice of the annual shareholder meeting scheduled for next month.
Notice in	Information published in media or publications	Residents found a notice in the local newspaper about proposed zoning changes affecting their neighborhood.
Notice on	Information posted on physical or digital surfaces	The university placed a notice on the student portal regarding updated graduation requirements.
Notice to	Direct communication addressed to specific recipients	The legal department sent a notice to all contractors about revised safety protocols.
Notice from	Communication originating from a particular source	Tenants received a notice from building management about scheduled elevator maintenance.
Notice for	Information related to specific events or purposes	The organizing committee posted a notice for the charity fundraiser on community bulletin boards.

2.2 Notice as a verb

The verb form of "notice" works with various prepositions to express different types of observation and awareness.

Preposition	Function	Example
Take notice of	Pay deliberate attention to something important	Investors should take notice of emerging market trends that could affect portfolio performance.
Notice something about	Observe particular characteristics or qualities	The art critic noticed something unusual about the painting's brushwork technique.
Notice changes in	Detect modifications or variations within something	Environmental scientists noticed significant changes in migration patterns of local bird species.
Notice increases/decreases on	Observe quantitative changes affecting specific items	Shoppers noticed price increases on essential grocery items throughout the summer months.
Notice with [emotion]	Experience awareness accompanied by specific feelings	The professor noticed with satisfaction that student engagement levels had improved dramatically.

IV. Synonyms of Notice in English

Rather than solely using Notice with meanings like see, pay attention, announce, etc., we can use many alternative words. Below is a list of synonyms of Notice in English along with examples:

Synonyms	Pronunciation	Example
Note	/noʊt/	Joan made sure to note all the important points during the lecture.
See	/siː/	Sue can't believe that she didn't see that beautiful sunset last night.
Perceive	/pəˈsiːv/	Some people are able to perceive subtle changes in their surroundings that others might miss.
Observe	/əbˈzɜːv/	Scientists often observe natural phenomena to gather data for their research.
Detect	/dɪˈtekt/	The security system is designed to detect any unauthorized access to the building.
Spot	/spɒt/	Peter was able to spot his friend in the crowd because of his distinctive red hat.
Witness	/ˈwɪt.nəs/	The bystanders witnessed the accident and were able to provide valuable information to the police.
Make out	/meɪk aʊt/	It was too dark to make out the details of the mysterious figure in the distance.
Catch sight of = Catch a glimpse of	/kæʧ saɪt əv/ /kæʧ ə glɪmps əv/	Mia was lucky to catch a glimpse of a shooting star in the night sky.
Clap/ lay/ set eyes on someone/ something	/klæp/ leɪ/ set aɪz ɑn/	When I set eyes on that beautiful painting for the first time, I knew I had to have it in my collection.

V. Collocations go with Notice in English

Next, let's explore some common collocations that go with Notice in English with PREP. Please check out the table below!

Collocation	Example
adequate notice	The company provided adequate notice to its employees before implementing the new policy.
ample notice	The wedding invitations were sent out with ample notice to allow guests to make travel.
sufficient notice	The school provided sufficient notice to parents about the upcoming parent-teacher conferences.
advance notice	They requested advance notice of at least two weeks for any schedule changes.
prior notice	We need to give our landlord prior notice if we plan to move out of the apartment.
constructive notice	The sign posted on the property serves as constructive notice that it is private and trespassing is prohibited.
fair notice	The employee received fair notice of the upcoming changes in the company's policies.
official notice	The official notice of resignation was submitted in accordance with company policy.
judicial notice	The judge took judicial notice of the state's laws in the case.
legal notice	The legal notice was served to the defendant informing them of the pending lawsuit.
notice of appeal	The attorney filed a notice of appeal with the court after the unfavorable judgment.
notice of intent	The notice of intent to sue was sent to the company for violating environmental regulations.
notice of proceedings	The notice of proceedings for the court hearing was sent to all parties involved.
notice requirement	The notice requirement for terminating the contract was clearly outlined in the agreement.
obituary notice	The obituary notice in the newspaper provided details about the deceased person's life.
proper notice	It's important to provide proper notice when resigning from a job to maintain a good professional relationship.
public notice	The government issued a public notice about the upcoming road construction project.
reasonable notice	We will provide reasonable notice to our guests before rescheduling the event.
short notice	We had to cancel the meeting due to a short notice of the venue's unavailability.
written notice	The written notice of the contract termination was sent via email to all parties involved.

VI. Exercises on Notice in English with detailed answers

Let's reinforce our theoretical knowledge of the usage of Notice in English more firmly together with PREP through the two exercises below!

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Write the correct form of the word Notice in the sentences below:

Tom’s stammer is not very_____(notice).
It’s gotten_____(notice) colder this month.
In recent years there has been a_____(notice) decline in such venerable American institutions as afternoon tea and the Sunday roast.
Liz’s hand was shaking_____(notice).
The question of childcare was_____(notice) absent from the discussion.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer

We need to provide ____ to the employees before making any changes to their work schedules.
1. short notice
2. written notice
3. adequate notice
The government issued an ____ regarding the upcoming election dates.
1. official notice
2. reasonable notice
3. required notice
The local newspaper published an ____ to inform the community of a beloved resident's passing.
1. obituary notice
2. proper notice
3. required notice
I'm sorry for the ____, but we have to reschedule the meeting to tomorrow morning.
1. adequate notice
2. short notice
3. written notice
The city council posted a ____ about the construction project that will affect traffic in the downtown area.
1. legal notice
2. public notice
3. judicial notice

2. Answer

Exercise 1:

noticeable
noticeably
noticeable
noticeably
noticeably

Exercise 2:

VII. Conclusion

Mastering the word notice in English unlocks a fundamental component of effective communication across all contexts. Whether you're using it as a noun to describe formal announcements or as a verb to express observation and awareness, understanding its various forms, structures, and prepositional combinations enhances your ability to communicate with precision and confidence. As you continue developing your English proficiency, remember that words like "notice" serve as versatile tools that, when used correctly, elevate your expression from basic communication to sophisticated language use that resonates with native speakers and fellow learners alike.

Chloe

Product Content Admin

Hi I'm Chloe, and I am currently serving as an Product Content Administrator at Prep Education. With over five years of experience in independent online IELTS study and exam preparation, I am confident in my ability to support learners in achieving their highest possible scores.