Notary public
/ˈnəʊtəɹi ˈpʌblɪk/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations, witness and authenticate documents and perform certain other acts varying from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
- 2 someone legally empowered to witness signatures and certify a document's validity and to take depositions wordnet
Etymology
Anglo-Norman/Law French, on model of notaire publique, hence the unusual order of adjective following noun, instead of idiomatic English *public notary. Compare attorney general, court martial, fee simple, secretary general, surgeon general.