denote

1 of 2

verb

de·​note di-ˈnōt 

dē-

denoted; denoting; denotes

transitive verb

1

: to serve as an indication of : betoken

But as yet, no floating bough, no tern … to denote our proximity to land.

—Herman Melville

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

di-ˈnōt-mənt 

dē-

noun

denotement

2 of 2

noun

de·​note·​ment -tmənt 

plural -s

: the act or means of denoting

Synonyms of denote

Verb

• signify
• mean
• imply
• indicate

Examples of denote in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Farrar’s post was a tiny script, of sorts, in which a character makes a pronouncement that is then interrupted by an action denoted by asterisks. — David MacK, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

The position of the sun denotes the time zone, and the mountain range is a graph of price. — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Michelin has introduced a rating of wineries where one grape denotes a very good producer; two an excellent producer, and three an exceptional producer. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2026

The following table, like others below, shows their ages on June 1, 2030, with greens highlighting younger players and reds denoting those who’ll be over 30. — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for denote

• afloat
• azote
• banknote
• bareboat
• benzoate
• connote
• cutthroat
• demote
• devote
• endnote
• footnote
• greatcoat

Kids Definition

denote

verb

de·​note di-ˈnōt 

1

: to mark out plainly : point out : indicate

the hands of a clock denote the time

2

: to make known : show

smiled to denote pleasure

3

: to have the meaning of : mean, name

the word "derby" can denote a horse race or a kind of hat