Notation \no*ta"tion\, n. [L. notatio a marking, observing, etymology, fr. notare to mark, nota a mark; Cf. F. notation .]

1. The act or practice of recording anything by marks, figures, or characters
2. Any particular system of characters, symbols, or abbreviated expressions used in art or science, to express briefly technical facts, quantities, etc. Esp., the system of figures, letters, and signs used in arithmetic and algebra to express number, quantity, or operations; a technical system of symbols used to represent special things [syn: notational system]
3. A comment (usually added to a text); "his notes were appended at the end of the article" [syn: note, annotation]
4. Literal or etymological signification. [Obs.]

   "Conscience" is a Latin word, and, according to the very notation of it, imports a double or joint knowledge. --South