Is Using “Advance Notice” Correct?

In giving notice, aren’t we inherently giving it in advance? If so, would this make the phrase advance notice redundant?

What Is Advance Notice?

In its basic definition, advance notice is when you give an alert or notification about something that is supposed to happen in the future. For instance, you may receive advance notice about a bill you will be receiving in the upcoming month. 

Here are some fictional examples of where advance notice is correctly used:

A city has recently released a new law for specific industries that require employers to give advance notice. 

The workers were severely mad at their boss, as he had changed the entire schedule and sick-leave plan without giving any form of advance notice.

In these examples, advance notice is synonymous with information or an announcement. However, it can also refer to a notice given at the end of a formal contract. Many people argue that you could easily remove the advance from advance notice while retaining the same simple meaning. 

Is Advanced Notice The Same As Advance Notice?

In some cases of the phrase, people may write or say advanced notice instead of advance notice. While they may seem interchangeable, there are a few key differences that people point out. Below are two examples with different uses for you to personally decide:

Under new law introduced by the local city council, city employees are now entitled to at least a 24-hour advanced notice to work hour changes and alterations. 

After receiving the new advanced notice, all employees were very happy to hear that they were receiving new, long-lasting employment benefits. 

Advanced Vs. Advance Notice 

There may not seem to be a difference between saying advanced notice and advance notice; however, many people seem to have an issue with interchanging them. Many people cite that using advanced notice is incorrect, as in contrast to the meaning of advance, advanced usually refers to something modern, complex, or even new. With this, it isn’t correct to interchange the two, as advanced has no connection to the meaning of giving notice ahead of time. Even though there is a clear difference, you can still find many examples of both uses in informal and formal texts throughout the years. 

Due to the correctness, advance notice seems to be more widely used in formal and legal writing, so don’t worry too much about mixing them up; the choice is up to you! 

Posted by Avatar photo
By Ryan Fisher

Ryan holds degrees from Pacific Lutheran University and specializes in proofreading, editing, and content writing with an emphasis on business communication.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *