Meaning & use
advance notification
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A message sent before something happens, telling someone that it is going to happen.
Grammar: Often used with 'of' or 'that': advance notification of a change; you can also say 'without advance notification'.
Patterns
- advance notification of something
- advance notification that …
- give someone advance notification
- without advance notification
The airline sent us advance notification that our flight had been moved to the morning.
Residents received advance notification of the road closure two weeks before the work began.
Please give the office advance notification if you plan to bring a guest.
noununcountableformal
The practice of telling people about something ahead of time, especially officially.
Grammar: No plural and no article when it means the general practice: advance notification is required.
Patterns
- require advance notification
- advance notification is required
- provide advance notification
Advance notification is required for any protest of more than fifty people.
The contract says the supplier must provide advance notification before raising prices.
Common combinations
- advance notification of
- We had no advance notification of the inspection.
- without advance notification
- The database may be shut down without advance notification.
- receive advance notification
- Subscribers receive advance notification of every sale.
- require advance notification
- Visits to the archive require advance notification.
- advance notification period
- The advance notification period for layoffs is sixty days.
Synonyms and how they differ
- advance notice
- The far more common everyday phrase; 'advance notification' sounds more official and is typical of rules and contracts.
- prior notice
- Very close in meaning, but 'prior' stresses that something else happened or will happen later, while 'advance' simply stresses that the message comes early.
- heads-up
- Informal and friendly; use it in speech with colleagues, not in a formal policy document.
- warning
- Suggests a possible problem or danger, whereas advance notification is neutral and simply means early information.
Opposites
Word family
- notify verb
- To tell someone officially about something.
- notification noun
- A message that tells you about something, often on a phone or computer.
- notifiable adjective
- Used about a disease or event that by law must be reported to the authorities.
Commonly confused: advance notification or advance notice? advance notification or notice?
advance notification vs advance notice
This is the usual phrase in everyday English. 'Advance notification' is not wrong, but it belongs to formal, official or technical writing.
advance notification vs notice
As a noun, 'notice' can mean a sign on a wall or a warning that a job or contract is ending; 'notification' is always a message that informs someone.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'advance notification' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Advance' means the information comes before the event, so giving it before booking fits. The other options describe information that arrives after the event or too late, which contradicts the meaning of 'advance'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “advance notification”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.