What does "at short notice" mean?
"At short notice" means with very little warning or preparation time. Here's how it's used and the American English equivalent.
What it means
With very little advance warning - less time than would normally be expected to prepare.
"She had to arrange the whole event at short notice."
"I'm sorry to call at such short notice, but can we meet today?"
"The meeting was called at very short notice."
What it implies
The situation didn't allow for the usual preparation time. The person or organisation had to act quickly, which may have affected quality or caused difficulty.
British vs American
"At short notice" is British English. Americans say "on short notice" - same meaning.
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Neutral to professional. Common in professional correspondence and conversation.
What does "at short notice" mean?
With very little advance warning - less time than would normally be expected to prepare.
"She had to arrange the whole event at short notice."
"I'm sorry to call at such short notice, but can we meet today?"
"The meeting was called at very short notice."
Is "at short notice" formal or informal?
Neutral to professional. Common in professional correspondence and conversation.
What's another way to say "at short notice"?
- "At a moment's notice" - immediately, with no warning at all
- "With little warning" - plain version
- "Last minute" - very informal, implies the latest possible moment
English is full of expressions like this one.
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