What does notarisation mean?
Notarisation is the formal process by which a notary public witnesses a signature, verifies the signer's identity, and applies an official signature or seal. The resulting certification helps establish who signed a document and when, which is especially useful for deeds, affidavits, and other legal papers. In British English, "notarisation" is the standard spelling, while US English normally uses "notarization." Notarisation does not necessarily mean that a document is legally valid or that every statement within it has been checked. Rather, it provides independent evidence that the person appearing before the notary signed the document willingly. The word is therefore particularly important in legal, property, and financial contexts, where authenticated signatures can be required by law or by the organisation receiving the document.
nounThe act or process of officially witnessing and certifying a signature by a notary. It may also refer to the authenticated document or certificate produced through this process.
- The official witnessing and certification of a signature or document by a notary.
- The certified document or certificate resulting from this process.
"The deed required notarisation before it could be filed with the registry."
"A professional witness was required to provide notarisation of the agreement."
"The bank returned the contract because its notarisation certificate had expired."
Used when referring to multiple instances of the authentication or certification process.
"The originals and copies received separate notarisations."
A notarisation records that a signature was made in a notary's presence; it does not, by itself, guarantee that the document's contents are true.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does notarisation come from?
The word belongs to a family derived from Latin notarius, a notary, ultimately connected with Latin notificare, meaning to make known or notify. English acquired the vocabulary through French and later developed the process noun "notarisation" with the suffix -ation, which forms a noun denoting an action or process. Related forms include the notary, notarial, and the verb notarise.
Related word forms
How notarisation is actually used
Chiefly used in British English; US English normally uses "notarization." The term describes the authentication of signatures and documents, not necessarily the legal validity of their contents.
Easily confused with notarisation
"Notarisation" is the standard British spelling, whereas "notarization" is the standard US spelling of the same word.