hallmark

1 of 2

noun

hall·​mark ˈhȯl-ˌmärk How to pronounce hallmark (audio)
1
a
: an official mark stamped on gold and silver articles in England to attest their purity
b
: a mark or device placed or stamped on an article of trade to indicate origin, purity, or genuineness
a hallmark from the Ming dynasty
2
: a distinguishing characteristic, trait, or feature
the dramatic flourishes which are the hallmark of the trial lawyerMarion K. Sanders

hallmark

2 of 2

verb

hallmarked; hallmarking; hallmarks

transitive verb

: to stamp with a mark that indicates origin, purity, or genuineness : to stamp with a hallmark (see hallmark entry 1)

Did you know?

The Golden History of Hallmark

In the year 1300, King Edward I of England (His Excellency also known most excellently as "Edward Longshanks") established a standard for gold and silver to ensure quality and prevent fraud. Thereafter precious metals had to be tested and approved by master craftsmen (and given the mark of a leopard's head) before being sold. Over the ensuing centuries, many London artisans brought their finished metal goods to Goldsmiths' Hall, where the Goldsmiths' Company had a charter to grant their unique mark of approval to wares that met standards of purity. (The process is much the same today.) At first, people used hallmark to name that mark of excellence from Goldsmiths' Hall, but over the years the word came to refer to any mark guaranteeing purity or genuineness, and eventually to any distinguishing characteristic, trait, or feature.

Examples of hallmark in a Sentence

Noun He had all the hallmarks of a great baseball player. Humor is one of the hallmarks of her style. The murder bore all the hallmarks of a serial killer's work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Amazon’s obsession with streamlining processes, reducing waste and optimizing resources is a hallmark of Lean leadership, which has allowed the company to scale rapidly while maintaining cost efficiency. Dr. Adil Dalal, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 This elevated style is a hallmark of Graham & Brown. Sarah Madaus, Architectural Digest, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
The demo, which Alexander shared over email, features his vocals and a few alternate lyrics, with less of the voluptuous instrumental that hallmarks Ellis-Bextor’s version but the same creative exuberance that juiced his best work as a frontman and songwriter. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 26 Jan. 2024 The Spurs’ practice gym was quiet Monday, save for the dull drone of conversation and the occasional click of a camera shutter that hallmark an NBA media day. Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Sep. 2021 See all Example Sentences for hallmark 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hallmark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Goldsmiths' Hall, London, England, where gold and silver articles were assayed and stamped

First Known Use

Noun

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1773, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hallmark was in 1721

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Dictionary Entries Near hallmark

Cite this Entry

“Hallmark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hallmark. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hallmark

noun
hall·​mark
ˈhȯl-ˌmärk
1
: an official mark stamped on gold and silver articles in England to certify their purity
2
: a distinguishing characteristic or feature
bears the hallmarks of genius
hallmark verb
Etymology

Noun

named for Goldsmith's Hall in London, England, where gold and silver articles formerly were tested for purity and stamped

More from Merriam-Webster on hallmark

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