earmark

noun

ear·mark | \ ˈir-ˌmärk

Definition of earmark

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

earmark

verb

earmarked; earmarking; earmarks

Definition of earmark (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

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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: Noun

The House Rules Committee will convene hearings this month on earmarks, House aides said. — Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, "Trump cools to idea of taking on welfare programs, seeing little chance of success in Congress," 5 Jan. 2018 At the very least, the earmark could provide Rail Link supporters with more political leverage in their quest. — Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "North South Rail Link scores a Beacon Hill win," 7 June 2018 But that's not happening in 2018 and 2019 has all the earmarks of a full-on rebuild season. — Stefan Stevenson, star-telegram, "Astros hold on against Rangers but Shin-Soo Choo stretches on-base streak to 43 games," 3 July 2018 But Allen says those grants have dried up in the past five years as Johnson County redirected those earmarks to building a handful of moderate-income home-ownership properties. — Lynn Horsley, kansascity, "JoCo agency gave low-income residents a lifeline. Now it's shutting down," 1 July 2018 The on-again, off-again summit meeting scheduling had all the earmarks of a television cliffhanger from a president who made a name for himself hosting a reality show on NBC for 14 years, only this time there were deadly serious consequences. — Peter Baker, New York Times, "Trump Announces Summit Meeting With Kim Jong-un Is Back on," 1 June 2018 The Legislature sent a bonding bill on Thursday to Baker that includes a long wish list of earmarks. — BostonGlobe.com, "Life sciences bill sent to the governor," 8 June 2018 Nancy Oganovich, congressional reporter for Bloomberg Government, discusses the potential return of earmarks, which fund lawmakers’ local spending projects and were killed by then-House speaker John Boehner. — Bloomberg.com, "Earmarks Make a Comeback in Trump’s Washington (Audio)," 10 Jan. 2018 Intensive anti-gang programs in the Virginia suburbs were cut 85 percent, a casualty of Congress’s elimination of earmarks. — Dara Lind, Vox, "MS-13, explained," 21 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

If the money in these accounts is earmarked for a certain time or a certain purpose, the likelihood of withdrawal drops and the money saved goes further. — Kevin Mcallister, WSJ, "How to Squeeze Higher Returns From Your Savings," 10 Feb. 2019 Tens of millions of dollars in the state budget for next fiscal year and in California’s cap-and-trade program, which generates revenue by charging businesses for polluting, are earmarked for vegetation management. — Kurtis Alexander, SFChronicle.com, "With wildfire season at hand, California on slightly safer footing this year," 17 June 2018 In 2017, his government earmarked $125 million for a Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy. — Amanda Coletta, The Seattle Times, "As U.S. tech giants head to Toronto, some Canadians worry about home-grown talent," 25 Sep. 2018 Pennsylvania lawmakers earmarked $60 million in new funding for school security, while Wisconsin set aside $100 million. — Alexia Fernández Campbell, Vox, "I went to a huge conference on school safety. No one wanted to talk about gun control.," 30 July 2018 Next year’s budget earmarks $20 million for police overtime. — Luke Broadwater, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore City Council to begin monthly oversight meetings on police overtime spending, crime," 9 July 2018 The compromise bill would earmark $23 billion for construction of a border wall, a priority for Trump, and make steep cuts to legal immigration programs, a potential poison pill for Democrats. — Eliza Fawcett, latimes.com, "House postpones vote on a second immigration bill after voting down first," 21 June 2018 The 2018 defense budget earmarked money for the Marine Corps to add 1,000 Marines, many of whom will work in cyber and electronic warfare. — Washington Post, "Marine Corps weighs wooing older members for new cyber force," 9 June 2018 Proposition 68, a parks-and-water bond on Tuesday's primary ballot, would earmark $250 million to combat polluted drinking water. — Dale Kasler, Phillip Reese And Ryan Sabalow, sacbee, "360,000 Californians have unsafe drinking water. Are you one of them?," 1 June 2018

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

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Last Updated

6 Feb 2019

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Time Traveler for earmark

The first known use of earmark was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for earmark

earmark

verb

Financial Definition of earmark

What It Is

Earmarking refers to the act of setting aside funds for special purposes or specific projects. Companies and governments earmark funds frequently.

How It Works

For example, let's assume Company XYZ issues $100 million of bonds and that $20 million of it is earmarked for the construction of a new factory. This means that Company XYZ intends to set aside $20 million of the proceeds (perhaps even in a separate bank account) for the factory capital expenditures.

In a bankruptcy situation, the "earmarking doctrine" allows borrowers -- just before filing for bankruptcy -- to make payments to creditors with funds given to the borrower by another creditor. These funds are earmarked in that they are dedicated to paying off a particular creditor and thus aren't technically part of the borrower's property. The earmarking doctrine requires these types of transfers to have a written agreement from all three parties, and the borrower cannot have control over the funds.

Why It Matters

In the corporate world, earmarking is essentially a way of organizing and allocating money.

In government, however, earmarking also comes with a good deal of controversy because the earmark language is often embedded in unrelated legislation and approved or rejected for reasons other than the merits (or lack thereof) of the earmarks.

[InvestingAnswers Feature: The Most Absurd Pork Barrel Spending Projects of 2010]

Source: Investing Answers

earmark

noun