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
Blue jumpsuits indicate an immigration infraction or a minor criminal charge; red ones denote a more serious crime.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Though the polka dot motif has a rather spotty history, the pattern was well sought-after in the 20th century, as a means to denote the refined, precise grade of industrial manufacturing.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 7 Sep. 2025
His Zoom profile photo shows two versions of Boulud staring at each other through a mirror—one in black and one in white—clearly meant to denote good and evil.
—Brittany Loggins, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
Note that the correlation 1D_5D denotes the correlation between 1D post-earnings returns and the following 5D returns.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
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Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Though the polka dot motif has a rather spotty history, the pattern was well sought-after in the 20th century, as a means to denote the refined, precise grade of industrial manufacturing.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 7 Sep. 2025
His Zoom profile photo shows two versions of Boulud staring at each other through a mirror—one in black and one in white—clearly meant to denote good and evil.
—Brittany Loggins, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
Note that the correlation 1D_5D denotes the correlation between 1D post-earnings returns and the following 5D returns.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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