Nota bene

Nota bene (pronounced /ˈnoʊtɑ ˈbɛnɛ/; alternative pronunciations /ˈnoʊtə ˈbeɪni, ˈbɛni, ˈbini/; plural form notate bene) is an Italian and Latin phrase meaning "note well".^[1] The phrase first appeared in writing circa 1721.^[2]

Often abbreviated as "N. B.", nota bene comes from the Latin roots notāre ("to note") and bene ("well").^[1] It is in the singular imperative mood, instructing one individual to note well the matter at hand. In present-day English, it is used, particularly in legal papers,^[3] to draw the attention of the reader to a certain (side) aspect or detail of the subject on hand, translating it as "pay attention" or "take notice". While "N. B." is often used in academic writing, "note" is a common substitute.

See also

Look up nota bene in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Annotation
• Comment
• Footnote
• List of Latin abbreviations
• List of legal Latin terms

References