notary public

/ˈnəʊtəɹi ˈpʌblɪk/

noun

An officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations, witness and authenticate documents and perform certain other acts varying from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

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notary
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Meanings

nounnotary public (plural notaries public or (rare) notaries publics)

plural notaries public · plural rare notaries publics

  1. lawAn officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations, witness and authenticate documents and perform certain other acts varying from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsomeone legally empowered to witness signatures and certify a document's validity and to take depositions

Similar
notary
Broader
officialfunctionary
Also see
huissier de justicenotary

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Anglo-Norman/Law French, on model of notaire publique, hence the unusual order of adjective following noun, instead of idiomatic English *public notary. Compare attorney general, court martial, fee simple, secretary general, surgeon general.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek συμβολαιογράφος
  • συμβολαιογράφος (sumbolaiográphos)officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Bulgarian нота́риус
  • нота́риус (notárius)officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Catalan notari
  • notariofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Chinese Mandarin 公證人 /公证人, 公證員 /公证员
  • 公證人 /公证人 (gōngzhèngrén)officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
  • 公證員 /公证员 (gōngzhèngyuán)officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Finnish julkinen notaari
  • julkinen notaariofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
French notaire
  • notaireofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
German Notar
  • Notarofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Greek συμβολαιογράφος
  • συμβολαιογράφος (symvolaiográfos)officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Hungarian közjegyző
  • közjegyzőofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Irish nótaire poiblí
  • nótaire poiblíofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Italian notaio
  • notaioofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Japanese 公証人
  • 公証人 (kōshōnin)officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Latin notarius, tabelliō
  • notariusofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
  • tabelliōofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Malay notari awam
  • notari awamofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Portuguese notário, tabelião
  • notárioofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
  • tabeliãoofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Russian нота́риус
  • нота́риус (notárius)officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Spanish notario, fedatario
  • notarioofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
  • fedatarioofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Swedish notarius publicus
  • notarius publicusofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Turkish noter
  • noterofficer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations
Cite this entry
APA

notary public. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/notary%20public

MLA

“notary public.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/notary%20public. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “notary public,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/notary%20public.

Source: notary public on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.