Officially notified

USAGE SUMMARY

"officially notified" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to someone being formally informed about something. Example: "The employees were officially notified of the policy changes." Alternative expressions include "formally informed" and "officially advised."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The residents say they were never officially notified.

The New York Times

"No one has officially notified the agency that this is safe under reasonable conditions of use".

The New York Times

As of late Friday, the Saudis had not officially notified the United Nations of their decision.

The New York Times

"I can't make any comment on it until they've officially notified the league".

The New York Times - Sports

Mr. Williams was never officially notified by the theater that his play had been canceled.

The New York Times

The agency officially notified the company last month of its decision.

The Washington Post

Arcos declined to comment because it had not been officially notified of the inquiry.

The New York Times

State news organizations reported Thursday that the court had officially notified Field Marshal Tantawi of his summons to testify.

The New York Times

A representative for Uber said the company had not been officially notified of any ban in Delhi.

The Guardian

An aide to Mr. Navalny, Anna Veduta, said he had not been officially notified of the date.

The New York Times

Maede Soltani, who lives in Germany, said her family was officially notified on Monday of last week's appeal ruling.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "officially notified" when you need to emphasize that a communication has legal, contractual, or administrative validity. It is particularly effective in journalism to distinguish between rumors and confirmed facts.

Common error

Do not use "officially notified" for informal updates or peer-to-peer conversations, as it sounds overly bureaucratic. For casual news, prefer phrases like "told directly" or "let me know".

Linguistic Context

In terms of grammatical function, "officially notified" typically appears as part of a passive verb phrase. According to Ludwig, it serves to attribute an action to an authoritative body while focusing on the recipient of the information. The adverb officially modifies the past participle notified, providing a layer of institutional weight.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Academia

7%

Less common in

Science

2%

Wiki

0.8%

Reference

0.2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "officially notified" is a robust and indispensable tool for formal writing, particularly when verifying the status of information. As seen in Ludwig AI, it appears frequently in the world's most trusted publications to denote that a protocol-based communication has occurred. Whether discussing international treaties in The New York Times or administrative university policies, this phrase provides a sense of authority and legitimacy. It is grammatically standard and highly recommended for any context where a clear distinction must be made between hearsay and formal record. Using alternatives like "formally informed" can provide slight stylistic variation, but "officially notified" remains the gold standard for institutional communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

formally informed

Nearly identical in meaning but emphasizes the formal nature of the information transfer

officially advised

Often used in administrative or professional settings to suggest guidance or notification

formally apprised

Utilizes more sophisticated vocabulary suitable for high-level business or academic writing

given formal notice

Uses a noun-based structure that fits well in employment or contractual contexts

duly notified

Adds a legalistic tone, implying the notification was done in the proper or required manner

properly informed

Suggests that all necessary details were provided correctly

notified through official channels

Emphasizes the protocol or the specific route the communication took

served notice

Stronger legal connotation, often involving a physical or official delivery of documents

received official word

Shifts the focus to the recipient and is slightly more idiomatic

officially updated

Specific to situations where existing information has changed or been refreshed

FAQs

How do I use "officially notified" in a sentence?

You can use it in a passive construction, such as: "The team was "officially notified" of the decision this morning". It indicates the information came from an authoritative source.

What can I say instead of "officially notified"?

Depending on your context, you can use "formally informed", "duly notified" or "formally apprised".

Is "officially notified" correct for business emails?

Yes, it is highly appropriate for professional correspondence where documenting a specific communication event is important.

What's the difference between "officially notified" and "informed unofficially"?

"Officially notified" implies a verified, public, or legally binding record, whereas "informed unofficially" refers to rumors or 'off-the-record' conversations.