Notat

Notat is a German noun meaning a brief written note or memorandum used to record information, decisions, or instructions. It is commonly employed in administrative, corporate, and academic settings to capture essential points that should be referenced later or conveyed to others. Notats are typically shorter and less formal than full reports, and they may be prepared by an employee, manager, or official for internal communication or record-keeping.

In practice, a Notat can serve several functions, such as documenting a discussion, summarizing conclusions from a meeting, or outlining next steps and responsibilities. It is often circulated within a department or filed in records to ensure consistency and clarity across teams. The tone of a Notat tends to be concise and factual, prioritizing factual statements over narrative detail.

Notat is distinct from Notiz, which more commonly denotes a personal or casual note. While Notiz may be written for private use, Notat tends to be associated with formal or semi-formal communications within organizations. The term is also found as a word-string in contexts outside German-speaking areas, where it may appear as a surname or place name, though such uses are not related to the noun’s meaning in German.

See also: Notiz, Notation, Memorandum, Memo.