notary public

noun

no·​ta·​ry public ˈnō-tə-rē- 

plural notaries public or notary publics

: a public officer who attests or certifies writings (such as a deed) to make them authentic and takes affidavits, depositions, and protests of negotiable paper

called also notary

Examples of notary public in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Black business owners occupied five blocks between West Broadway and Chester streets in downtown Little Rock, with a laundromat, restaurants, stenographer and notary public offices, retail shops and more. —Helaine Williams, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024

Kevin Correa, a close friend and notary public, officiated. —Jenny Block, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024

Most notary publics can only charge what their state dictates; notary signing agents, on the other hand, can charge more for handling sensitive mortgage or loan packages, often on tight deadlines. —Morgan Smith, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2024

Notarize: To make the deed legally valid, it must be signed in the presence of a notary public. —True Tamplin, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English notary clerk, notary public, from Latin notarius clerk, secretary, from notarius of shorthand, from nota note, shorthand character

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

notary public

noun

no·​ta·​ry public ˌnōt-ə-rē- 

plural notaries public or notary publics

: a public officer who witnesses the making of a document (as a deed) and signs it to show that it is authentic

called also notary

Legal Definition

notary public

noun

no·​ta·​ry public ˈnō-tə-rē- 

plural notaries public or notary publics

: a public officer who certifies and attests to the authenticity of writings (as deeds) and takes affidavits, depositions, and protests of negotiable instruments

called also notary

Etymology

Latin notarius stenographer, from nota note, shorthand character