1
: a mark of identification on the ear of an animal
2
: a distinguishing mark
all the earmarks of poverty
3
: a provision in Congressional legislation that allocates a specified amount of money for a specific project, program, or organization
earmarked; earmarking; earmarks
1
a
: to mark (livestock) with an earmark
b
: to mark in a distinguishing manner
2
: to designate (something, such as funds) for a specific use or owner
money earmarked for education
Examples of earmark in a Sentence
Verb
The project uses funds that had been earmarked for education.
the earnings from my second job have been earmarked for a down payment on a car
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Vanderbroeck, Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
That formula is the popular earmark of the Sunshine State Athletic Association, which was created in 2008 and grew rapidly in recent years as more and more teams decided the SSAA game plan better fit their programs.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
On occasion, seized drugs earmarked for testing at a state laboratory never made it there, a source with knowledge of the subsequent investigation told CNN.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for earmark
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Noun
In all cases, his strengths of speed, innovation, organization, and execution — earmarks of his success — also saved him from disaster.
—Paul Vanderbroeck, Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
That formula is the popular earmark of the Sunshine State Athletic Association, which was created in 2008 and grew rapidly in recent years as more and more teams decided the SSAA game plan better fit their programs.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Viewers who watch the game on Peacock will see all the big commercials the Super Bowl is known for — and a smaller subset of ads earmarked as streaming-only.
—Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
On occasion, seized drugs earmarked for testing at a state laboratory never made it there, a source with knowledge of the subsequent investigation told CNN.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for earmark
Cite this Entry
“Earmark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earmark. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
earmark
1 of 2 noun
ear·mark
ˈi(ə)r-ˌmärk 
1
: a mark of identification on the ear of an animal
2
: a mark or quality by which something can be identified
the earmarks of success
earmark
2 of 2 verb1
: to mark with or as if with an earmark
2
: to set aside for a special purpose
money earmarked for a vacation
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