Someone legally empowered to witness signatures and certify a document's validity and to take depositions.

synonym: notary.

Roget 968: lawyer, attorney, legal counsel; counsel, counsellor, counsellor at law, attorney at law; jurist, legist^†, civilian, pundit, publicist, juris consult [Lat.], legal adviser, advocate; barrister, barrister at law; King's or Queen's counsel; K.   C.; Q.   C.; silk gown, leader, sergeant-at-law, bencher; tubman^†, judge etc. 967.    bar, legal profession, bar association, association of trial lawyers; officer of the court; gentleman of the long robe; junior bar, outer bar, inner bar; equity draftsman, conveyancer, pleader, special pleader.    solicitor, proctor; notary, notary public; scrivener, cursitor^†; writer, writer to the signet; S.   S.C.; limb of the law; pettifogger; vakil^†.    legal beagle [Coll.].    [persons accessory to lawyers] legal secretary; legal assistant; law student.    ... show more

Dutch: notaris
Polish: notariusz