nota bene

Unadapted borrowing from Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”).^[1]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌnəʊtə ˈbɛneɪ/,^[1] /ˌnəʊtə ˈbɛni/^[1]
• IPA^(key): /ˌnoʊtə ˈbɛneɪ/, /ˌnoʊ.tə ˈbɛ.ni/^[2][3], /ˌnoʊ.tə ˈbi.ni/^[2][3], /ˌnoʊ.tə ˈbeɪ.ni/^[2]

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nota bene

1. (imperative) Take special note; used to add an aside or warning to a text.^[1]

• As with the Latin phrases id est and exempli gratia, nota bene is now more commonly encountered in its abbreviated forms n.b. or N.B.^[1]
• In Latin, notā is the singular present active imperative form of notō (“I mark”, “I note”, “I observe”), whose plural equivalent is notāte; consequently, in English, when addressing an audience of more than one person, the plural form notate bene is occasionally used instead of the singular. This practice is not necessary in English; nota bene is regarded as correct usage irrespective of number by all but the most pedantic language users. The abbreviation n.b. may stand for either.

• nota

• n.b. (abbreviation)
• N.B. (abbreviation)
• NB (abbreviation)

nota bene

1. (rare, informal) An instance of the phrase nota bene or its variant spellings.^[1] Also, by extension:
   1. Any indication similar in nature to nota bene.^[1]
   2. Something deserving of close attention or of careful notice.^[1]

From Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”). See the Latin section's etymology for further information.

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˌnoː.taː ˈbeː.nə/

nota bene

1. nota bene (used to add an aside or warning to a text)

• NB (abbreviation)

From Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”). See the Latin section’s etymology for further information..

• IPA^(key): /nɔ.ta be.ne/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

nota bene (nota béné)

1. nota bene (used to add an aside or warning to a text)

• “nota bene”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

• bâtonnée

Unadapted borrowing from Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”). See the Latin section’s etymology for further information..

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɔ.ta ˈbɛ.ne/
• Hyphenation: nò‧ta‧bè‧ne

nota bene

1. nota bene (used to add an aside or warning to a text)

• NB (abbreviation)

notā, singular present active imperative form of notō (“I mark”, “I note”, “I observe”) + bene (“well”), adverbial form of bonus (“good”)

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈnɔ.taː ˈbɛ.nɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈnɔː.ta ˈbɛː.ne]

notā bene (plural notāte bene)

1. nota bene (used to add an aside or warning to a text)

• NB (abbreviation)
• N.B. (abbreviation)

Borrowed from Latin notā bene.

nota bene n (uncountable)

1. nota bene

From Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”). See that entry for more information.

• IPA^(key): /ˌnota ˈbene/ [ˌno.t̪a ˈβ̞e.ne]
• Syllabification: no‧ta be‧ne

nota bene

1. nota bene (used to add an aside or warning to a text)

• “nota bene”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025