Phrase guide

nota bene

noun · phrase · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌnəʊtə ˈbɛneɪ/
  • Received-Pronunciation:
  • /ˌnoʊtə ˈbɛneɪ/
  • /ˌnoʊ.tə ˈbɛ.ni/
  • /ˌnoʊ.tə ˈbi.ni/
  • /ˌnoʊ.tə ˈbeɪ.ni/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An instance of the phrase nota bene or its variant spellings. Also, by extension:

Any indication similar in nature to nota bene.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An instance of the phrase nota bene or its variant spellings. Also, by extension:

Something deserving of close attention or of careful notice.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

phrase

Meaning 3

Take special note; used to add an aside or warning to a text.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: imperative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a Latin phrase (or its abbreviation) used to indicate that special attention should be paid to something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the margins of his book were generously supplied with pencilled NBs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: NB, N.B.

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: note, annotation, notation

History

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”).

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Spanish: nota bene — Translations