notice board
B1Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
A flat surface, usually made of cork, wood or plastic, fixed to a wall, on which notices, announcements, posters, or other pieces of information are displayed publicly.
A physical or digital place for posting public announcements, often serving as a central information hub for a specific community, workplace, or institution. Can refer by metonymy to the collection of information posted there.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to a physical object. Its function is central to its definition; the material (cork, fabric, whiteboard) can vary. Often found in institutional settings like schools, offices, or community centres.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, 'notice board' is standard. In American English, the equivalent term is almost always 'bulletin board'. 'Cork board' or 'pin board' may refer to the physical object without the posted notices.
Connotations
Both terms are neutral, associated with organised, communal information sharing. The American 'bulletin board' can occasionally have a slightly more informal, community-centre connotation.
Frequency
'Notice board' is very frequent in the UK; 'bulletin board' is dominant in the US. Use of 'notice board' in the US might be marked as British.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[check/look at] the notice board[pin/post/put/attach/tack] [something] [to/on] the notice board[take down/remove] [something] [from] the notice boardThe notice board [is/contains/has]...Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's on the notice board (meaning: the information is publicly available)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
In an office: 'Please check the staff notice board for the new holiday policy.'
Academic
In a university department: 'The seminar schedule is posted on the main notice board outside the lecture hall.'
Everyday
In a block of flats: 'There's a note about the lost cat on the communal notice board in the lobby.'
Technical
Rarely used in a technical sense. Could refer to a physical board in a factory for safety notices.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I need to notice board the meeting minutes. (Incorrect - not used as a verb)
American English
- He bulletin-boarded the flyer. (Incorrect - not used as a verb in standard English)
adverb
British English
- (No adverbial use)
American English
- (No adverbial use)
adjective
British English
- The notice-board policy requires all clubs to post their events. (Compound adjective)
American English
- We have a bulletin-board announcement system. (Compound adjective)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher put our class photo on the notice board.
- Look at the notice board for the lunch menu.
- All job vacancies are advertised on the main notice board in reception.
- I pinned the lost key notice to the community notice board.
- The notice board was cluttered with outdated posters, so the office manager decided to clear it and implement a new posting policy.
- Before the digital age, the departmental notice board was the primary source of academic announcements.
- Despite the proliferation of email and intranets, the humble notice board persists as a surprisingly effective locus for serendipitous information discovery within organisations.
- The curator arranged the exhibition flyers on the public notice board with a deliberate aesthetic, transforming it into a piece of conceptual art.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a BOARD where you put things people should NOTICE.
Conceptual Metaphor
A COMMUNITY IS A BODY (the notice board is a central nervous system for information). A PUBLIC SPACE IS A SURFACE (for displaying information).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'доска для заметок' (board for notes) which suggests a notepad. The standard translation is 'доска объявлений'.
- Do not confuse with 'blackboard' ('классная доска') or 'whiteboard' ('маркерная доска').
Common Mistakes
- Using 'note board' (incorrect).
- Confusing 'notice board' (for public info) with 'mood board' (for design inspiration).
- Spelling as one word 'noticeboard' (acceptable variant, but less formal).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a key functional feature of a notice board?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'noticeboard' is a common and accepted spelling, especially in British English. 'Notice board' (two words) is also perfectly correct and often used in more formal writing.
A notice board (or bulletin board) is for pinning or tacking paper notices. A whiteboard is a smooth, glossy surface for writing on with dry-erase markers, used for presentations or temporary notes.
Traditionally, it refers to a physical object. However, by analogy, online 'bulletin board systems' (BBS) or digital 'message boards' exist. In modern usage, specifying 'digital notice board' or 'online bulletin board' is clearer.
The standard American English term is 'bulletin board'. Using 'notice board' in the US will likely be understood but identified as a Britishism.