denote

verb

de·note | \ di-ˈnōt,

dē-\

denoted; denoting; denotes

Definition of denote

transitive verb

1 : to serve as an indication of : betoken the swollen bellies that denote starvation

2 : to serve as an arbitrary mark for red flares denoting danger

3 : to make known : announce his crestfallen look denoted his distress

4a : to serve as a linguistic expression of the notion of : mean in the southern U.S., the word "toboggan" denotes a stocking cap

b : to stand for : designate the symbol / denotes "or," "and or," or "per" An epiphany is, literally, a showing. In Christian terminology it denotes the showing of the infant Jesus to the three Magi.— David Lodge

Other Words from denote Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about denote

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of denote in a Sentence

The word “derby” can denote a horse race or a kind of hat. Her death denoted the end of an era.

Recent Examples on the Web

One figure is a wash of blues and pinks, a few hazy lines denoting her waist and thigh. — Christina Cacouris, Marie Claire, "This Artist Uses Gold and Glitter to Destigmatize Period Blood," 11 Sep. 2018 Driver could also see extensive crop marks denoting the presence of the Roman or Iron Age settlement of Trewen, which was once either a farmstead or a villa. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "A Heat Wave is Revealing Centuries-Old Sites in Wales," 11 July 2018 The chic Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, now in a half-dozen locations in this area, rocks two themes: farm-to-table sourcing, and a menu denoting dishes with fewer than 500 calories. — Michael Klein, Philly.com, "The sassy, hoagie-mouthed chef is back | Let's Eat," 11 July 2018 To help answer the question, Applebaum envisioned all of music as a grid of squares, with each square denoting a kind of composition: music with lyrical melodies, music that emphasizes syncopation, or music using a quarter-tone system, for instance. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Generosity of Innovation," 28 June 2018 For eight weeks, the students studied the economy, politics and social ethics of their respective countries and developed speeches denoting their positions on two proposals the Model UN’s General Assembly would vote on. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "Ten students spend two days as Model UN delegates," 18 Apr. 2018 The honor is denoted by a deep blue sash, which Camilla was wearing at the banquet yesterday. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Just Received an Extremely Important Honor from the Queen," 24 Oct. 2018 An individual’s profile will denote his or her title and regulatory overseer. — Lisa Beilfuss, WSJ, "The Fiduciary Rule Is Dead. What’s an Investor to Do Now?," 9 Sep. 2018 Beyond the things in an office, e-waste denotes refrigerators, toasters, washing machines, stereo systems, electric toothbrushes, and the sort of toys that do things on their own. — Peter Ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "'E-waste': Getting grip on a growing global problem," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'denote.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.