notary public
noun
no·ta·ry public ˈnō-tə-rē- 
plural notaries public or notary publics
: a public officer who attests or certifies writings (such as a deed) to make them authentic and takes affidavits, depositions, and protests of negotiable paper
called also notary
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web He's became a certified notary public, has been DJing and from time-to-time, picks up a DoorDash route. 
Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News, 22 July 2022 The annual fee helps to support library programs and events, including the Dictionary Project, Tellebration, notary public services, books for babies, museum passes, pops concerts, college scholarships and more. Hartford Courant, 30 June 2022 Public concerns about similarities with Venezuela led Mr. Petro to publicly sign a document at a notary public pledging not to expropriate. Kejal Vyas, WSJ, 24 May 2022 The real seal is the about the size of a hockey puck, and Raffensperger uses it to emboss official documents as a glorified notary public. David Montgomery, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2022 Jennifer, a 35-year-old mother of four, was a notary public and headed to a job in River Rouge, Michigan, on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. NBC News, 22 Dec. 2020 Marino had a friend, who is a notary public, sign the document in the husband’s absence. Seamus Mcavoy, courant.com, 28 Oct. 2021 Mail ballot voters must have their ballot signature witnessed by someone 18 years old or older or by an authorized official, like a notary public or municipal clerk. CBS News, 18 Sep. 2020 There was no answer to a phone number connected to his business as a notary public in Cottonwood, a city south of Sedona in Arizona's Verde River valley. Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 16 July 2021 See More
Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News, 22 July 2022 The annual fee helps to support library programs and events, including the Dictionary Project, Tellebration, notary public services, books for babies, museum passes, pops concerts, college scholarships and more. Hartford Courant, 30 June 2022 Public concerns about similarities with Venezuela led Mr. Petro to publicly sign a document at a notary public pledging not to expropriate. Kejal Vyas, WSJ, 24 May 2022 The real seal is the about the size of a hockey puck, and Raffensperger uses it to emboss official documents as a glorified notary public. David Montgomery, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2022 Jennifer, a 35-year-old mother of four, was a notary public and headed to a job in River Rouge, Michigan, on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. NBC News, 22 Dec. 2020 Marino had a friend, who is a notary public, sign the document in the husband’s absence. Seamus Mcavoy, courant.com, 28 Oct. 2021 Mail ballot voters must have their ballot signature witnessed by someone 18 years old or older or by an authorized official, like a notary public or municipal clerk. CBS News, 18 Sep. 2020 There was no answer to a phone number connected to his business as a notary public in Cottonwood, a city south of Sedona in Arizona's Verde River valley. Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 16 July 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English notary clerk, notary public, from Latin notarius clerk, secretary, from notarius of shorthand, from nota note, shorthand character
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
notary public
noun
no·ta·ry public ˈnō-tə-rē-
plural notaries public or notary publics
: a public official who witnesses the making of a document (as a will) and signs it to show that it is authentic
Legal Definition
notary public
noun
no·ta·ry public ˈnō-tə-rē-
plural notaries public or notary publics
: a public officer who certifies and attests to the authenticity of writings (as deeds) and takes affidavits, depositions, and protests of negotiable instruments
called also notary