diff --git a/hgext/releasenotes.py b/hgext/releasenotes.py
--- a/hgext/releasenotes.py
+++ b/hgext/releasenotes.py
@@ -242,6 +242,10 @@
         read('.hgreleasenotes')
     return p['sections']
 
+def _getadmonitionlist(ui, sections):
+    for section in sections._sections:
+        ui.write(_(str(section[0]) + ": " + section[1] + "\n"))
+
 def parsenotesfromrevisions(repo, directives, revs):
     notes = parsedreleasenotes()
 
@@ -432,9 +436,11 @@
     return '\n'.join(lines)
 
 @command('releasenotes',
-    [('r', 'rev', '', _('revisions to process for release notes'), _('REV'))],
-    _('[-r REV] FILE'))
-def releasenotes(ui, repo, file_, rev=None):
+    [('r', 'rev', '', _('revisions to process for release notes'), _('REV')),
+    ('l', 'list', False, _('list the available admonitions with their title'),
+        None)],
+    _('hg releasenotes [-r REV] FILE'))
+def releasenotes(ui, repo, file_=None, **opts):
     """parse release notes from commit messages into an output file
 
     Given an output file and set of revisions, this command will parse commit
@@ -511,6 +517,10 @@
     release note after it has been added to the release notes file.
     """
     sections = releasenotessections(ui, repo)
+    if opts.get('list'):
+        return _getadmonitionlist(ui, sections)
+
+    rev = opts.get('rev')
 
     revs = scmutil.revrange(repo, [rev or 'not public()'])
     incoming = parsenotesfromrevisions(repo, sections.names(), revs)
diff --git a/tests/test-releasenotes-formatting.t b/tests/test-releasenotes-formatting.t
--- a/tests/test-releasenotes-formatting.t
+++ b/tests/test-releasenotes-formatting.t
@@ -378,3 +378,15 @@
   
   * Adds a new feature.
 
+  $ cd ..
+
+Usage of --list flag
+
+  $ hg init relnotes-list
+  $ cd relnotes-list
+  $ hg releasenotes -l
+  feature: New Features
+  bc: Backwards Compatibility Changes
+  fix: Bug Fixes
+  perf: Performance Improvements
+  api: API Changes