designate

adjective

des·ig·nate | \ ˈde-zig-ˌnāt

, -nət\

Definition of designate

(Entry 1 of 2)

: chosen but not yet installed (see install sense 1b) ambassador designate

designate

verb

des·ig·nate | \ -ˌnāt

designated; designating

Definition of designate (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to indicate and set apart for a specific purpose, office, or duty designate a group to prepare a plan

2a : to point out the location of a marker designating the battle

b : to distinguish as to class (see class entry 1 sense 3) the area we designate as that of spiritual values— J. B. Conant

c : specify, stipulate to be sent by a designated shipper

3 : denote associate names with the people they designate

4 : to call by a distinctive title, term, or expression a particle designated the neutron

Other Words from designate Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about designate

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Other Words from designate

Verb

designative \ -ˌnā-tiv

\ adjective

designator \ -ˌnā-tər

\ noun

designatory \ -nə-ˌtȯr-ē

\ adjective

Synonyms for designate

Synonyms: Verb

appoint, fix, name, set

Examples of designate in a Sentence

Verb

The wooden stakes designate the edge of the building site. the designated time for the meeting

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Ratti and his team created a series of wooden modules that are embedded with lights that could help direct vehicle and pedestrian traffic, as well as designate bike lanes or hazard zones. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Futuristic road concept is made of reconfigurable parts that light up," 6 Aug. 2018 Although rediscovered only in 2013 near the town of Pamukkale — famous for its surreal, Unesco-designate travertine hot spring terraces — the cave’s existence has been known since antiquity as part of what was then Hierapolis. — Time, "Animals Dropped Dead Inside Roman 'Gate to Hell.' Scientists Just Figured Out Why," 22 Feb. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Modern Land also owns the Seattle Metro Regional Center, which in 2013 was designated by U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services as qualified to raise EB-5 funds. — Peter Grant, WSJ, "Foreigners Funded Houston Development to Get Green Cards. They Were Duped, SEC Says," 8 Jan. 2019 Starting January 23, the airline is globally introducing eight boarding groups—up from six—all designated by fare class and loyalty tier. — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "Delta's New Boarding Process Is Based on Colors," 11 Dec. 2018 But the first thing to consider is the machine’s dimensions (with lid open as well as closed) and the area designated for your frying station. — Francine Maroukian, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Deep Fryers—and How to Fry Anything," 14 Nov. 2018 In a somewhat unlikely scene, Ambassador Haley walked from her car to a special area designated for protesters set up by the NYPD during United Nations High Level week. — Ben Evansky, Fox News, "Nikki Haley lends support to Venezuelans protesting Maduro at UN," 28 Sep. 2018 The concertmaster, a title designated for the first-chair first violin) is considered to be the second most important leader of an orchestra, just behind the artistic director or principal conductor. — Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Timothy Lees steps down as Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concertmaster," 13 July 2018 Short hops Right-hander Fernando Salas, who was removed from the 40-man roster and designated for assignment on July 6, cleared waivers, refused an outright assignment to the minor leagues and elected free agency. — Nick Piecoro, azcentral, "Diamondbacks receive good news on Jarrod Dyson injury," 11 July 2018 It’s designated for a stretch of bollard-style fencing near San Diego. — Salvador Rizzo, Washington Post, "Anatomy of a Trump rally: 76 percent of claims are false, misleading or lacking evidence," 10 July 2018 Filling a need Quigley became agency director in 1999 and bought the Poplar Place complex with federal grant funds designated for special nonprofits called community housing development organizations. — Lynn Horsley, kansascity, "JoCo agency gave low-income residents a lifeline. Now it's shutting down," 1 July 2018

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