notary
notary Lexical Profile
notary Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person authorized by a government or state to perform certain legal formalities, especially to draw up or certify contracts, deeds, and other documents for use in other jurisdictions, witness signatures, and administer oaths.
"We had to sign the real estate deed in the presence of a licensed notary before the bank would finalize the mortgage."
Word Nuance & Usage
In common-law jurisdictions (such as the United States), a 'notary' (or 'notary public') is typically a non-lawyer commissioned only to witness signatures and administer oaths, making it a false friend with the Spanish 'notario' or French 'notaire,' who are highly trained legal professionals.
• Rhymes for notary
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Latin 'notarius,' meaning a shorthand writer, clerk, or secretary, derived from 'nota' ('mark, sign, or shorthand character'). In ancient Rome, 'notarii' took rapid notes of legal proceedings, a role that evolved over centuries into an official authenticator of legal documents.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.