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 | \ ˈde-zig-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 \ ˈde-zig-ˌnā-tiv

\ adjective

designator \ ˈde-zig-ˌnā-tər

\ noun

designatory \ ˈde-zig-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

Finally, whet your appetite for history in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, whose historic center has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "6 Luxury Pre-Planned Trips You Need to Book Immediately," 15 Mar. 2019 Over 1,600 of those acres are designated for beginners, and they're spread across the entire mountain, so you're not confined to one area. — Alexa Tucker, SELF, "8 Great Places to Learn How to Ski If You've Never Been," 16 Feb. 2019 They were written by Amazon reviewers so prolific that they have been designated, basically, influencers and are often shipped new products early to review in advance. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "Jell-O is finally capitalizing on the Instagram slime trend," 15 Nov. 2018 And a portion of the house is even designated as a museum, complete with original Stradivarius violins. — Alex Schechter, Vogue, "Beyond Airbnb: 9 Luxe Hotels That Cater to House Lovers," 11 Oct. 2018 Those lanes are not designated for parking and that lane is sometimes needed as a lane of escape if a crash is eminent. — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Don't park along Houston's freeways to watch July 4th fireworks," 3 July 2018 Authorities say Vavic, who won 16 national water polo titles at USC, was paid $250,000 to designate two students as recruits. — Alanna Durkin Richer, The Seattle Times, "Coaches, others plead not guilty in college admissions scam," 25 Mar. 2019 Lori Loughlin and her husband allegedly paid $500,000 to have their daughters designated as recruits for the USC crew team. — Vogue, "The Craziest Details From the College Cheating Scandal That Got Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin Charged," 12 Mar. 2019 There are so many, in fact, that the island is designated as a Special Protection Area under the EU Bird Directive. — Maya Mcdowell, House Beautiful, "There's a Private Island in Ireland on the Market For $1.4 Million," 22 Feb. 2019

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.