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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Comparing these numbers, the familiar decimal notation is the most efficient by far: only two digits are needed to write down 17, which could be advantageous for a computer. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 18 July 2025 When Paddy was singing his vocal lines, Thomas was very good at taking the best elements from each delivery of a line, not just the notation, not just the phrasing, but also the meaning. David Chiu, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 The handwritten manuscript spans two volumes with more than 500 pages of complicated notations for each instrument in the orchestra. Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025 Legend has it that the name Mad River came from a notation Josiah Gregg made on a map in the late 1840s. Eureka Times-Standard, Mercury News, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for notation

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Notation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notation. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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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