on notice

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   Warned officially that you must improve your behavior or performance, or you will face a penalty or dismissal.

   Grammar: Used after be or put; it describes a state, not an action you perform.

   Patterns

   • be on notice
   • put someone on notice
   • put someone on notice that ...

   After missing three deadlines, she was put on notice that her job was at risk.

   The landlord has put the tenants on notice to pay the overdue rent within ten days.

   The company is on notice from the safety inspector and must fix the wiring by Friday.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   Informed about something and expected to remember or act on it.

   Grammar: Often followed by of or that when you name the information.

   Patterns

   • be on notice of something
   • be on notice that ...

   The staff are on notice of the new security rules.

   We are on notice that the schedule may change without warning.

Common combinations

put someone on notice

The manager put him on notice after the third complaint.

be on notice

The supplier is on notice to improve quality.

on notice that

Employees were on notice that overtime would be cut.

serve notice on someone

The council served notice on the owner to repair the roof.

Synonyms and how they differ

warned

Warned is the everyday verb; on notice is a more formal state often used in work or legal contexts.

alerted

Alerted means simply made aware; on notice often adds a threat of consequences.

Word family

notice noun

A written or spoken warning or announcement.

notify verb

To tell someone officially about something.

Commonly confused: on notice or at short notice?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “on notice”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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