denote

verb de·note \ di-ˈnōt , dē- \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

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

4 a : 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

—

denotement

play \-ˈnōt-mənt\ noun

See denote defined for English-language learners

See denote defined for kids

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 of denote from the Web

The Red Letter Christian movement — named for the red lettering used to denote Jesus’s words in many Bibles — is, in many ways, a direct repudiation of Falwell’s brand of Christianity.

— tara isabella burton, Vox, "Lynchburg’s Red Letter Revival brought “pro-testifiers” to Jerry Falwell Jr.’s door.," 12 Apr. 2018
Assuming a fan transported from 1988 could take his or her eyes off the giant TV screens, the sight of the flags denoting a recent National League pennant and a World Series victory might be equally hypnotic.

— phil rosenthal, chicagotribune.com, "Pitched as a timeless game, baseball's changeup is surprisingly effective," 26 Mar. 2018
That’s the term that has come to denote secret condom removal.

— julia reiss, Marie Claire, "I've Been Stealthed—but Was It Sexual Assault?," 16 Mar. 2018
Frank Lenk, director of research for the Mid-America Regional Council, cautions that a one-year shift in migration doesn't necessarily denote a trend.

— steve vockrodt, kansascity, "Why are people with college degrees leaving KC? Civic leaders look for answers | The Kansas City Star," 27 Feb. 2018
Lombino also said Bandidos went to his house to beat him and take any property denoting his membership in the Bandidos.

— guillermo contreras, San Antonio Express-News, "Ex-Bandidos member testifies about beatdown that quelled a coup," 3 Apr. 2018
Besides the pennant, the Dodgers also will raise some form of marker denoting their 2017 National League West title.

— henry schulman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Giants-Dodgers rivalry renewed in Los Angeles," 28 Mar. 2018
In addition to offering the largest indoor range in Kansas, Thunderbird also houses classrooms – one set up with desks and chairs, another with tape on the floor marking out imaginary doors and windows, with red Xs denoting shooters.

— christa case bryant, The Christian Science Monitor, "For gun owners, a core belief: guns make us safer," 22 Mar. 2018
How good or bad a character is at these characteristics are denoted by a number that's usually between 1 and 20, with 1 being horrendously terrible and 20 being freakishly good.

— william herkewitz, Popular Mechanics, "So You Want To Play Dungeons & Dragons...," 20 Mar. 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.

Origin and Etymology of denote

Middle French denoter, from Latin denotare, from de- + notare to note

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1562

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

denote Synonyms

Synonyms

express, import, intend, mean, signify, spell;

Related Words

connote, imply, suggest;

hint, infer, insinuate, intimate;

embody, epitomize, personify, represent, symbol, symbolize;

advert, allude (to), cite, instance, mention, refer (to), specify, touch (on or upon);

designate, indicate, point (to), signal;

DENOTE Defined for English Language Learners

denote

verb

Definition of denote for English Language Learners

of a word : to have (something) as a meaning : to mean (something)
: to show, mark, or be a sign of (something)

DENOTE Defined for Kids

denote

verb de·note \ di-ˈnōt \

Definition of denote for Students

denoted; denoting

1 : to serve as a mark or indication of

A star on the map denotes a capital.

2 : to have the meaning of : mean

"Derby" denotes a contest or a hat.

Learn More about denote

See words that rhyme with denote Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for denote Spanish Central: Translation of denote Nglish: Translation of denote for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of denote for Arabic speakers

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Definition of denote

denotement

Examples of denote in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of denote

denote Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

DENOTE Defined for English Language Learners

denote

Definition of denote for English Language Learners

DENOTE Defined for Kids

denote

Definition of denote for Students

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