notary
n. countablen. an official who has the legal power to watch you sign important papers. They check your identity and sign the document too to prove it is real.
n. a public official authorised to witness the signing of legal documents and to administer oaths. Primarily serves to verify the identity of signatories and ensure the authenticity of a transaction.
The bank needs a notary to witness your signature.
Before the property sale could be finalised, both parties had to meet with a notary to sign the deed.
In many jurisdictions, the presence of a notary is a statutory requirement for the execution of powers of attorney and other instruments that carry significant legal weight.
From Middle English notarie, from Old French notarie (French notaire), from Latin notārius.
Often used in the phrase 'notary public'.