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design

verb
de·​sign | \ di-ˈzīn How to pronounce design (audio) \
designed; designing; designs

Definition of design

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan : devise, contrive design a system for tracking inventory
2a : to conceive and plan out in the mind he designed the perfect crime
b : to have as a purpose : intend she designed to excel in her studies
c : to devise for a specific function or end a book designed primarily as a college textbook a suitcase designed to hold a laptop computer
3 archaic : to indicate with a distinctive mark, sign, or name
4a : to make a drawing, pattern, or sketch of … a curious woman whose dresses always looked as if they had been designed in a rage …— Oscar Wilde
b : to draw the plans for design a building designing a new bike

intransitive verb

1 : to conceive or execute a plan
2 : to draw, lay out, or prepare a design was trained to design for homes and offices

design

noun

Definition of design (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a particular purpose or intention held in view by an individual or group He has ambitious designs for his son.
b : deliberate purposive planning more by accident than design
2 : a mental project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down was never part of my design
3a : a deliberate undercover project or scheme : plot a declaration of a design upon his life— John Locke
b designs plural : aggressive or evil intent —used with on or against he has designs on the money
4 : a preliminary sketch or outline showing the main features of something to be executed the design for the new stadium
5a : an underlying scheme that governs functioning, developing, or unfolding : pattern, motif the general design of the epic
b : a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something (such as a scientific experiment) also : the process of preparing this
6 : the arrangement of elements or details in a product or work of art … his sense of structure, both in the general design of Paradise Lost and Samson, and in his syntax …— T. S. Eliot
7 : a decorative pattern a floral design
8 : the creative art of executing aesthetic or functional designs studied design in college
Other Words from design Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about design

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Other Words from design

Verb

designedly \ di-​ˈzī-​nəd-​lē How to pronounce designedly (audio) \ adverb

Synonyms for design

Synonyms: Verb

aim, allow [chiefly Southern & Midland], aspire, calculate, contemplate, go [chiefly Southern & Midland], intend, look, mean, meditate, plan, propose, purport, purpose

Synonyms: Noun

arrangement, blueprint, game, game plan, ground plan, master plan, plan, program, project, road map, scheme, strategy, system

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Choose the Right Synonym for design

Noun

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain. intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about. announced his intention to marry intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness. the clear intent of the statute purpose suggests a more settled determination. being successful was her purpose in life design implies a more carefully calculated plan. the order of events came by accident, not design aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing. her aim was to raise film to an art form end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such. willing to use any means to achieve his end object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need. his constant object was the achievement of pleasure objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable. their objective is to seize the oil fields goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship. worked years to reach her goals

plan, design, plot, scheme, project mean a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end. plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation. plans for a house design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony. a design for a new dress plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions. the plot of the play scheme stresses calculation of the end in view and may apply to a plan motivated by craftiness and self-interest. a scheme to defraud the government project often stresses imaginative scope and vision. a project to develop the waterfront

Examples of design in a Sentence

Verb

 A team of engineers designed the new engine. Who designed the book's cover? He designed the chair to adjust automatically. They thought they could design the perfect crime. design a strategy for battle

Noun

 There are problems with the design of the airplane's landing gear. I like the design of the textbook. I love the sculpture's design. The machine had a flawed design. the design and development of new products Correcting mistakes is part of the design process. a number of design concepts
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

 The vastly faster processing speeds promised by quantum computing may be able to design more secure networks but might also be used to break the encryption upon which cybersecurity depends. — Richard A. Clarke And Robert K. Knake, WSJ, "U.S. Companies Learn to Defend Themselves in Cyberspace," 12 July 2019 County Engineer John Blount says commissioners are spending local funds to design projects, rather than waiting on matching federal funds that will instead be used for construction. — USA TODAY, "Flying goats, chile duel, ’99 Women’s World Cup statue: News from around our 50 states," 12 July 2019 Best of all, Kodjoe says the app is designed for the entire family. — Jasmine Grant, Essence, "Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker Launch 'Kofit' Wellness App At Essence Fest," 12 July 2019 All this frees up space elsewhere in the vehicle, allowing an electric car to be designed from scratch to be more efficient and therefore cheaper to run. — The Economist, "A new type of engine for electric cars," 11 July 2019 The Bachelor‘s go-to jeweler Neil Lane designed the engagement ring and wedding bands. — Natalie Stone, PEOPLE.com, "The Bachelor Creator Mike Fleiss Files for Divorce After 5 Years of Marriage," 10 July 2019 In addition to the public officials’ help and the involvement of Avon VFW Post 7035, Vietnam veteran and local artist Kerry Barvincak helped to design the memorial. — Linda Gandee/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Avon receives 2,000-pound stones for Veterans Memorial," 8 July 2019 The christening look did come from a designer the duchess has incorporated into her royal wardrobe, however: Early reports from the ceremony said that Markle's polished dress was designed by Dior. — Halie Lesavage, Glamour, "Meghan Markle Wore a Gorgeous Dior Dress for Baby Archie's Christening," 6 July 2019 The holes are designed by artists and there are two new designs in this summer’s 10-hole course. — Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, "It’s not over yet! 19 things to do in summer 2019," 5 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 Each deputy’s design often includes a unique number denoting his place in the lineage of lawmen chosen as members. — Maya Lau, latimes.com, "Deputy gangs have survived decades of lawsuits and probes. Can the FBI stop them?," 14 July 2019 Kuo said Apple would go back to Touch ID with an in-screen design in 2021. — Don Reisinger, Fortune, "Apple Goes Back to the Future By Focusing on Macs," 13 July 2019 At least six teams — not counting the Warriors — have designs on the Finals. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "James Harden and Russell Westbrook: Rockets interesting, but doomed," 13 July 2019 After inviting five firms to submit designs for the visitor center, Adams said each of the firms recommended removing the 925 Chicago Ave. — Steve Schering, chicagotribune.com, "Frank Lloyd Wright visitor center plan gets cool first reaction from Oak Park historic preservation commission," 13 July 2019 The contemporary design was built with art collecting in mind, as much of the house boasts ideal spots to showcase paintings, sculptures, tapestries, ceramics, and glass. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Art-filled contemporary in Santa Fe asks $4M," 12 July 2019 The good: At $30 (or less), the new WeMo Mini is competitively priced, and the smaller design won’t block adjacent outlets. — courant.com, "CNET: Best smart plugs for 2019," 12 July 2019 The new design will be presented Thursday to the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts, one of two federal review boards that must approve the changes. — Peggy Mcglone, Washington Post, "Newseum’s distinctive First Amendment facade will be removed in Johns Hopkins redesign," 12 July 2019 Consulting companies have been building design and marketing operations in recent years. — Allison Prang, WSJ, "Accenture Picks Julie Sweet as Chief Executive," 12 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'design.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of design

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for design

Verb and Noun

Middle English, to outline, indicate, mean, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French designer to designate, from Medieval Latin designare, from Latin, to mark out, from de- + signare to mark — more at sign

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Learn More about design

Statistics for design

Last Updated

16 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for design

The first known use of design was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for design

design

verb
How to pronounce design (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of design

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: to plan and make decisions about (something that is being built or created) : to create the plans, drawings, etc., that show how (something) will be made
: to plan and make (something) for a specific use or purpose
: to think of (something, such as a plan) : to plan (something) in your mind

design

noun

English Language Learners Definition of design (Entry 2 of 2)

: the way something has been made : the way the parts of something (such as a building, machine, book, etc.) are formed and arranged for a particular use, effect, etc.
: the process of planning how something will look, happen, be made, etc. : the process of designing something
: a drawing of something that is being planned or created

See the full definition for design in the English Language Learners Dictionary

design

verb
de·​sign | \ di-ˈzīn How to pronounce design (audio) \
designed; designing

Kids Definition of design

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to think up and plan out in the mind Our engineers have designed a new engine.
2 : to set apart for or have as a special purpose : intend The Web site is designed for fun.
3 : to make a pattern or sketch of She designs clothes.

design

noun

Kids Definition of design (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an arrangement of parts in a structure or a work of art The design of the house suits a large family.
2 : the art or process of planning and creating something His job is Web page design.
3 : a sketch, model, or plan of something made or to be made Architects studied the design for the building.
4 : a decorative pattern
5 : plan entry 1 sense 1, scheme
6 : a planned intention As if by design, they both stopped at the same spot …— Jerry Spinelli, Maniac Magee
7 : a secret purpose : plot I know you have designs on my money.

design

noun
de·​sign | \ di-ˈzīn How to pronounce design (audio) \

Medical Definition of design

: a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something (especially a scientific experiment) also : the process of preparing this

Other Words from design

design transitive verb

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More from Merriam-Webster on design

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with design

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for design

Spanish Central: Translation of design

Nglish: Translation of design for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of design for Arabic Speakers

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