Notable

How to spell notable

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce notable

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does notable mean?

1. adjectiveWorthy of attention or remark because of being important, remarkable, or distinguished.

Notable in a sentence

• The report showed a notable improvement in quarterly sales.

• Several notable guests attended the charity dinner.

Where does notable come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin notabilis, meaning 'worthy of note' or 'remarkable', which was built on the verb notare, 'to mark' or 'to take note of'. That verb in turn rests on the noun nota, the Latin word for a mark, sign, or written annotation, the same root that gives us 'note', 'notation', and 'notice'. English adopted notable through Old French in the 1300s, originally describing things significant enough to deserve recording or remembering. Over time it broadened to cover any person or thing of distinction, and as a noun it came to mean an eminent or important person. The spelling trap is the silent middle: there is only one 't', and the ending is '-able' rather than '-ible', a pattern that holds because the stem 'note' takes '-able'.

How the word is built

• not- (from Latin notare: to mark, note)
• -able (capable of, worthy of)