des·ig·nate
ˈde-zig-ˌnāt 
designated; designating
1
: to indicate and set apart for a specific purpose, office, or duty
designate a group to prepare a plan
2
a
: to point out the location of
a marker designating the battle
b
: to distinguish as to class (see class entry 1 sense 3)
the area we designate as that of spiritual values—
J. B. Conant
J. B. Conant3
: denote
associate names with the people they designate
4
: to call by a distinctive title, term, or expression
a particle designated the neutron
des·ig·nate
ˈde-zig-ˌnāt
-nət
: chosen but not yet installed (see install sense 2a)
ambassador designate
Synonyms
Examples of designate in a Sentence
Verb
The wooden stakes designate the edge of the building site.
the designated time for the meeting
Recent Examples on the WebCamellia Burris, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2024
Spirit Award Asher Ewing, Kings The senior is the epitome of all that is designated in the Spirit Award.
—Melanie Laughman, The Enquirer, 26 Apr. 2024
The Historical Resources Board designated the arena as historic based on the criteria outlined in the staff report prepared by the city’s planning department.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Los Angeles International Airport has designated $43 million to improve the way travelers navigate the airport, which will include a renumbering of terminals, gates and stations ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
—Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Both parents were accused of paying half a million dollars in bribes to falsely designate their daughters as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
When he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays last week, Mitch White packed up his things, headed west and tried to manifest destiny.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024
The Israeli ambassador to the UN requested the emergency meeting in a letter Saturday, and requested the council condemn the attack and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
—Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
Arrowhead Stadium has designated drop-off and pick-up spots for Uber, Lyft, Z-Trip or friends dropping off their friends.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2024
Last year, several companies, including Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google, voluntarily pledged to develop a system of watermarking as a way to designate content that has been created by AI.
—Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
On Sunday the political party of former Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph announced its third change of designate.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
The weekend, the conductor leads The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra for the first time as its new music director designate, taking the podium for performances in a program that includes Brahms and Tchaikovsky.
—Amy Carleton, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
This outlined that the district police department chief should be the person in control of the scene, should secure the administration office as a command post if possible and designate an alternate post if not, and work to communicate with other responding officers.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2024
That's why some are turning to the public domain, a set of laws that designate when movies, artwork, music, and books become free to use.
—Michael Dobuski, ABC News, 30 Jan. 2024
Instead of using each of the three colors equally throughout the space, designate one as the star and consider the others supporting players, suggests Mark Lavender, a Chicago interior designer.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
House Republicans are now taking a secret ballot vote on whether Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) should remain the speaker designate.
—WSJ, 20 Oct. 2023
Verb
While the shooting was being reviewed, the department also designated him a field training officer, and assigned a junior officer to learn from him.
—Camellia Burris, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2024
Spirit Award Asher Ewing, Kings The senior is the epitome of all that is designated in the Spirit Award.
—Melanie Laughman, The Enquirer, 26 Apr. 2024
The Historical Resources Board designated the arena as historic based on the criteria outlined in the staff report prepared by the city’s planning department.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Los Angeles International Airport has designated $43 million to improve the way travelers navigate the airport, which will include a renumbering of terminals, gates and stations ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
—Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Both parents were accused of paying half a million dollars in bribes to falsely designate their daughters as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
When he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays last week, Mitch White packed up his things, headed west and tried to manifest destiny.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024
The Israeli ambassador to the UN requested the emergency meeting in a letter Saturday, and requested the council condemn the attack and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
—Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
Arrowhead Stadium has designated drop-off and pick-up spots for Uber, Lyft, Z-Trip or friends dropping off their friends.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Previously, the state gathered information from designate spots along the river but never the entire length during a year.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2024
Last year, several companies, including Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google, voluntarily pledged to develop a system of watermarking as a way to designate content that has been created by AI.
—Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
On Sunday the political party of former Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph announced its third change of designate.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
The weekend, the conductor leads The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra for the first time as its new music director designate, taking the podium for performances in a program that includes Brahms and Tchaikovsky.
—Amy Carleton, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
This outlined that the district police department chief should be the person in control of the scene, should secure the administration office as a command post if possible and designate an alternate post if not, and work to communicate with other responding officers.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2024
That's why some are turning to the public domain, a set of laws that designate when movies, artwork, music, and books become free to use.
—Michael Dobuski, ABC News, 30 Jan. 2024
Instead of using each of the three colors equally throughout the space, designate one as the star and consider the others supporting players, suggests Mark Lavender, a Chicago interior designer.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
House Republicans are now taking a secret ballot vote on whether Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) should remain the speaker designate.
—WSJ, 20 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'designate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near designate
Cite this Entry
“Designate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/designate. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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