notation

noun

no·​ta·​tion nō-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce notation (audio)
1
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 adjective

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 This lunar art museum spans millennia, reaching all the way back to a Sumerian cuneiform fragment of musical notation up to modern-day beats by Timbaland. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 26 Feb. 2024 Pencil marks with the inventor’s notations and directions remain scribbled across the top. IEEE Spectrum, 1 Feb. 2024 The right notation can absolutely transform a piece of mathematics, and can make space for generalizations as well. Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2024 The sort who orders half the menu at a dinner for two, using each cocktail or glass of wine as a kind of musical notation, a mark of rest between courses, helping the unhurried night grow long and lively. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 The notation for the plane ticket does not state a destination. The Arizona Republic, 6 Jan. 2024 Using this notation, the hat is Tile(1,√3 ), and the turtle is Tile(√3 ,1). Craig S. Kaplan, Scientific American, 14 Dec. 2023 The revisions will bar parents from giving their children some more extreme types of unconventional names and, for the first time in the registers’ 150-year modern history, require notations ensuring that all names can be read as intended. Hikari Hida, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023 Using their notation, what takes minutes to explain in a YouTube video can fit into a short string of characters. Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'notation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin notation-, notatio, from notare to note

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of notation was in 1584

Dictionary Entries Near notation

Cite this Entry

“Notation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notation. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

notation

noun
no·​ta·​tion nō-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce notation (audio)
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 How to pronounce notation (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on notation

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