notable

Pluralnotables

1. 1
   adjective

   Worthy of attention because it is remarkable, memorable, or distinguished.

   The treaty marked a notable turning point in the country's history.

   Among the guests were several notable figures from the world of science.

   Similarnoteworthy, eminent

   Oppositeobscure, nameless

   Note

   The sense the word's history points straight at: Latin notābilis, "noteworthy," from notō, "to note, mark," reached English through Middle English and Anglo-Norman. It carries approval. Noteworthy and eminent stand beside it, and obscure and nameless stand against it. Shakespeare could already speak of "a notable lover" in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. That approval is what separates it from the neutral "conspicuous" meaning.

2. 2
   adjective

   Easily noticed or conspicuous, without suggesting that the thing is good or bad.

   The new policy brought a notable rise in traffic through the downtown core.

   There was a notable gap between the two halves of the report.

   Similarobvious, noticeable, clear, evident, plain

   Oppositesubtle

   Note

   Here the word only says that something stands out, whether it is good or bad. Shakespeare's "a notable lubber" in The Two Gentlemen of Verona shows the point: a lubber is a clumsy lout, and notable marks him as a conspicuous one, not an admirable one. In neutral or negative contexts, such as a notable gap or a notable rise, read it as evident or apparent. Its opposite is subtle.

3. 3
   adjective

   Capable of being observed or perceived.

   Researchers measured a notable shift in the instrument readings overnight.

   A notable tremor ran through the ground moments before the quake.

   Similarnoticeable, perceptible, observable, detectable, discernible

   Oppositeimperceptible, undetectable

   Note

   Here the word leans on its Latin root, notō, "to note, mark": the point is that something can be seen, not that it deserves praise. It sits comfortably in the superlative, as in "most notable in children" or "another most notable change", where most means most plainly observed. Because the "remarkable" meaning lies so close, a notable change can read either way. Talk of seeing or measuring tips it toward this sense.

4. 4
   nouncountable

   Someone or something that stands out as important or well known.

   The dinner gathered political notables from across the region.

   He was treated as a notable wherever he traveled in the literary circles.

   Similardignitary, celebrity, luminary, personage, VIP

   Oppositenobody, nonentity

   Note

   The adjective turned into a noun for people whose names count. Carl Schurz, in an 1875 letter, wanted "a meeting of notables—men whose names will be of weight with the country." That gloss of his is a fair test of the word: a notable is someone whose name lends weight. The plural, notables, suits gatherings and lists of the distinguished.

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