"notebandi" means the demonetization of certain banknotes. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
notebandi
(India) The demonetization of certain banknotes.
Etymology timeline
Born ~2016 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
(India) The demonetization of certain banknotes.
"notebandi" means the demonetization of certain banknotes. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"notebandi" is informal English meaning the demonetization of certain banknotes. It is part of Indian English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "the demonetization of certain banknotes" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "notebandi" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
“"Notebandi is the biggest issue here," says Santosh Kumar Gupta, who along with his brothers runs the family hardware store. - [The baby born in a bank queue in India's cash crisis](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-38932631) - [India admits rupee ban bad for economy](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38807695) "The public has been really hassled.”
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Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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