denoted; denoting; denotes
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
David LodgeExamples 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
The iCBT group showed large reductions in social anxiety compared to the control group, with effect sizes that denoted very strong effects.
—New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2025
The car is now known as the 718—a reference to the Porsche that won the Targa Florio race in 1959 and 1960—with the Boxster and Cayman names denoting the vehicle’s body style.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
Streamlining communication and clearly denoting important or urgent information can go a long way in helping families navigate a sea of information.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025
City had signals to denote which routine was to be used.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denote
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New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2025
The car is now known as the 718—a reference to the Porsche that won the Targa Florio race in 1959 and 1960—with the Boxster and Cayman names denoting the vehicle’s body style.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
Streamlining communication and clearly denoting important or urgent information can go a long way in helping families navigate a sea of information.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025
City had signals to denote which routine was to be used.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denote
Cite this Entry
“Denote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denote. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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