denote

verb

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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

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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 And, of course, there was the brief squabble over the poop emoji wristbands handed out Tuesday by the Wisconsin Center to denote that those who entered the building were fever-free. — Alison Dirr, USA TODAY, "Milwaukee County presidential recount wraps up with Biden adding to his margin over Trump," 28 Nov. 2020 For Millennial viewers, Mary’s fronting for Michael’s business dealing may also denote the tribal descent of Chelsea Clinton and Hunter Biden. — Armond White, National Review, "The Godfather Coda Mixes Crime, Politics, and Religion," 4 Dec. 2020 And, of course, there was the brief squabble over the poop emoji wristbands handed out Tuesday by the Wisconsin Center to denote that those who entered the building were fever-free. — Alison Dirr, USA TODAY, "Milwaukee County presidential recount wraps up with Biden adding to his margin over Trump," 28 Nov. 2020 And, of course, there was the brief squabble over the poop emoji wristbands handed out Tuesday by the Wisconsin Center to denote that those who entered the building were fever-free. — Alison Dirr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee County presidential recount wraps up with Biden adding to his margin over Trump," 27 Nov. 2020 Where some artists use collage to express disruption, Moumin executes formal and often symmetrical designs that denote a clockwork universe. — Washington Post, "In the galleries: Cutting, pasting and creating dazzling order out of chaos," 27 Nov. 2020 White circles around chairs denote appropriate social distancing. — Laurie Kellman, Star Tribune, "Bruised and haunted, US holds tight as 2020 campaigns close," 1 Nov. 2020 Underscoring how the drama captured global audiences, television graphics in Japan used fireballs to denote some of the battleground states crucial to the outcome. — Arkansas Online, "World waits nervously, impatiently for U.S. vote count," 4 Nov. 2020 Staff often set chairs inside white plastic circles to denote six feet of distance. — Arkansas Online, "Harris suspends travel after staffer tests covid-19 positive," 15 Oct. 2020

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.