serve notice


serve notice (on one)

1. To provide or present (to one) a formal announcement or proclamation. You can't just cut people's wages without serving notice in advance! The landlord served notice on the tenants that they were being evicted.2. To make one fully aware of something. I didn't think I'd hurt myself too badly, but the struggle to get out of bed the next morning served notice to me just how much damage I had done to myself. So many people turned up for my husband's funeral, and it served notice on us how important he had been in our community.See also: notice, serve

serve notice (on someone)

to formally or clearly announce something to someone. John served notice that he wouldn't prepare the coffee anymore. I'm serving notice that I'll resign as secretary next month.See also: notice, serve