notation

noun

no·​ta·​tion nō-ˈtā-shən 

1

: annotation, note

2

a

: the act, process, method, or an instance of representing by a system or set of marks, signs, figures, or characters

b

: a system of characters, symbols, or abbreviated expressions used in an art or science or in mathematics or logic to express technical facts or quantities

notational

nō-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• jotting
• memo
• memorandum
• note

Examples of notation in a Sentence

a mathematical notation for computer programming

he had scribbled his notation so quickly I couldn't read it

Recent Examples on the Web

Hall and his team of cutters typically take 27 measurements, and add notations about posture, and physical asymmetries. —Samantha Conti, WWD, 5 Dec. 2024

Enclose with your contribution the donor’s address with city, state and ZIP code for internal processing, a notation of whether the donation should remain anonymous, whether the donation is in the memory of someone special. —Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 23 Oct. 2024

There was no mention of the election in the minutes, save for a staff notation that stock market volatility rose before the Nov. 5 results and fell after. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2024

His approach is the opposite of the usual popularizations of math, where ideas are translated into plain English and notation is largely avoided. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin notation-, notatio, from notare to note

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing notation

• positional notation
• postfix notation
• reverse Polish notation
• scientific notation

Kids Definition

notation

noun

no·​ta·​tion nō-ˈtā-shən 

1

: note entry 2 sense 3a

make notations on a paper

2

: the act of noting

3

: a system of marks, signs, figures, or characters used to give specified information

musical notation

scientific notation

notational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective