note
Americannoun
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a brief record of something written down to assist the memory or for future reference.
- Synonyms:
- minute, memorandum
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notes, a record or outline of a speech, statement, testimony, etc., or of one's impressions of something.
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an explanatory or critical comment, or a reference to some authority quoted, appended to a passage in a book or the like.
a note on the origin of the phrase.
- Synonyms:
- annotation, commentary
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a brief written or printed statement giving particulars or information.
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Library Science. additional information about a work, such as its special series or some other significant identification, included on the library catalog entry.
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a short, informal letter.
a thank-you note.
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a formal diplomatic or official communication in writing.
a note delivered by the ambassador.
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a paper acknowledging a debt and promising payment; promissory note.
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a certificate, as of a government or a bank, accepted as money.
- Synonyms:
- bill
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eminence, distinction, or reputation.
a man of note.
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importance or consequence.
few events of particular note.
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notice, observation, or heed.
to take note of warning signs; to be worthy of note.
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a characteristic or distinguishing feature.
a note of whimsy in the design of the house.
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a mark, quality, or indication of something, especially as a submerged but ubiquitous element.
There was just a note of bitterness in his films.
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a characteristic way of speaking or thinking.
His critics had begun to change their note.
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a signal, announcement, or intimation.
a note of warning in her voice.
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Music.
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a sign or character used to represent a tone, its position and form indicating the pitch and duration of the tone.
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a key, as of a piano.
-
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a tone sounded on a musical instrument.
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a musical sound or tone.
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a melody, tune, or song.
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a sound of musical quality, as one uttered by a bird.
attentive to the thrush's note.
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any call, cry, or sound of a bird, fowl, etc.
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a new or unexpected element in a situation.
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a mark or sign, as of punctuation, used in writing or printing.
verb (used with object)
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to write or mark down briefly; make a memorandum of.
to note the places of interest.
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to make particular mention of in a writing.
She noted their extra efforts in her report.
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to annotate.
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to observe carefully; give attention or heed to.
Note the fine brushwork in this painting.
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to take notice of; perceive.
We noted his concern at the announcement.
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to set down in or furnish with musical notes.
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to indicate or designate; signify; denote.
- Synonyms:
- mention
idioms
noun
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a brief summary or record in writing, esp a jotting for future reference
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a brief letter, usually of an informal nature
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a formal written communication, esp from one government to another
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a short written statement giving any kind of information
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a critical comment, explanatory statement, or reference in the text of a book, often preceded by a number
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short for banknote
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a characteristic element or atmosphere
a note of sarcasm
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a distinctive vocal sound, as of a species of bird or animal
the note of the nightingale
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any of a series of graphic signs representing a musical sound whose pitch is indicated by position on the stave and whose duration is indicated by the sign's shape
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Also called (esp US and Canadian): tone. a musical sound of definite fundamental frequency or pitch
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a key on a piano, organ, etc
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a sound, as from a musical instrument, used as a signal or warning
the note to retreat was sounded
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short for promissory note
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archaic a tune or melody
-
-
distinguished or famous
an athlete of note
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worth noticing or paying attention to; important
nothing of note
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to behave appropriately
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to behave inappropriately
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(often foll by of) to observe carefully; pay close attention (to)
verb
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to notice; perceive
he noted that there was a man in the shadows
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to pay close attention to; observe
they noted every movement
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to make a written note or memorandum of
she noted the date in her diary
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to make particular mention of; remark upon
I note that you do not wear shoes
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to write down (music, a melody, etc) in notes
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to take (an unpaid or dishonoured bill of exchange) to a notary public to re-present the bill and if it is still unaccepted or unpaid to note the circumstances in a register See protest
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a less common word for annotate
Synonym Usage
See remark.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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notesimple
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notessimple
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have notedperfect
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has notedperfect
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am notingprogressive
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are notingprogressive
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is notingprogressive
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have been notingperfect progressive
-
has been notingperfect progressive
Past
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notedsimple
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had notedperfect
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was notingprogressive
-
were notingprogressive
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had been notingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of note
First recorded in 1175–1225; (for the noun) Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin nota “sign for musical tone,” in Latin: “mark, sign, lettering”; verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
A note is a very short piece of writing. You might write a note to your sister on the back of your grocery list, or jot down a quick note reminding yourself to call your grandmother later. You might slip a love note under a door, or leave your cat sitter a note explaining how much to feed Fluffy. Other notes are taken during lectures or written in notebooks by journalists during interviews. You can also make a mental note, paying particular attention to something in the hopes that you'll remember it later. The Old French noter, "indicate or write down," comes from the Latin root notare, "to mark or note," from nota, "mark."
Vocabulary lists containing note
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 4
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Common Core Grade 6, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Analyst Hayden Nicholson tells clients in a note that the Australian company’s June-quarter performance looks good in the context of elevated outflows, even if net inflows fells short of consensus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
However, Duma Boko, Botswana’s president since late 2024, is still waiting for his 10 pula note.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos struck a similar note when presenting the company's results in mid-July: "We're making higher quality output more quickly and efficiently than we could have using traditional methods."
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
He published a note Wednesday on the subject of global investment banks and also observed how the U.S. investment banks’ second quarter had far exceeded his own already-constructive expectations.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
She pulled Ma’s note out of her handbag.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Leigh notes that not every state can take part in Raffall competitions because of different state gambling, lottery and consumer protection laws.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“A lender typically can reduce your credit limit at its discretion,” Experian notes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
So if you agreed to send notes after every meeting, make sure you’re sending a detailed outline of what you both talked about in a timely manner.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
The maker of Post-It notes on Tuesday said it now expects adjusted earnings per share between $8.80 and $8.95 for the year, up from a previous range of $8.50 to $8.70.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The moon was high when Isadora came to the notes Coal’s mother had written on the night he was born.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
"Three decades on, its scale and influence remain extraordinary - a defining British record that continues to unite generations, fill stadiums and soundtrack lives," they noted.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
There’s a chance, experts noted, that this year’s El Niño could bring more fall rain, damping the Santa Ana winds’s ability to fuel fast-moving fires.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
The FDA’s release also noted that its own investigation identified a “single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by Taco Bell,” but oddly declined to name the supplier.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Lindzon, also a partner at venture-capital investor Social Leverage, noted at the time a crescendo in the chatter about AI chips, he told MarketWatch in an interview on Monday.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
“It was the first definite mark that a civilized man had been on the river,” Cherrie noted.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Japan lodged a diplomatic protest with China, noting the drill “could pose a danger to the navigation of nearby vessels,” Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Minoru Kihara, said on Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
She introduced “Cut Piece” by noting that in Ono’s six performances over a half-century, the last in 2003 in response to the Gulf War, anger had turned into something more gracious.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Unfortunately, raptors get lead poisoning often, and that’s one of the problems we deal with,” she said, noting that their recent patient has yet to be diagnosed with this.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
It’s worth noting that a significant portion of wealth creation for major category-defining companies occurs before they even enter the public markets.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Mrs. Richardson climbed the steps to the second floor, noting the linoleum that was just beginning to peel at the corners of the treads.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.