denoted; denoting; denotes
1
: to serve as an indication of : betoken
But as yet, no floating bough, no tern … to denote our proximity to land.—
Herman Melville
Herman Melville2
: 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 other was an official air force photo with a gold star denoting his new rank affixed to the shoulder epaulet.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
Previous downturns of this nature, denoted by red arrows on the chart, resulted in consolidation phases lasting several weeks.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
The arrangement and colors denote a sensitivity to the space they are held in, allowing Palazzolo’s work to blend in eloquently without getting lost in a room that is clearly more dynamic than the typical white cube.
—Mario Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Blue circles mark Taiwan’s naval assets, with red denoting China’s.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denote
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
Previous downturns of this nature, denoted by red arrows on the chart, resulted in consolidation phases lasting several weeks.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
The arrangement and colors denote a sensitivity to the space they are held in, allowing Palazzolo’s work to blend in eloquently without getting lost in a room that is clearly more dynamic than the typical white cube.
—Mario Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Blue circles mark Taiwan’s naval assets, with red denoting China’s.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 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 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share