earmark

1 of 2

noun

ear·​mark ˈir-ˌmärk How to pronounce earmark (audio)
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

2 of 2

verb

earmarked; earmarking; earmarks

transitive verb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In fact, Left on Tenth has all the earmarks of those tales, with perhaps just a very, very light touch of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2024 Flashback: As of August, the education department distributed more than $42 million in grants of a $50 million earmark to state schools to increase and modernize security according to recommendations from Arkansas' 2022 School Safety Commission Report. Worth Sparkman, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
In 2021, George T. Stagg was omitted from the collection because the barrels that were earmarked for 2021 Stagg didn’t meet their quality standards. Chris Perugini, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 Some nonprofit disaster response organizations offer various types of training for civilians, but there is no formal state or federal programming or earmarked funding for these efforts. Jess Craig, Vox, 17 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for earmark 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near earmark

Cite this Entry

“Earmark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earmark. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

earmark

1 of 2 noun
ear·​mark ˈi(ə)r-ˌmärk How to pronounce earmark (audio)
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 verb
1
: to mark with or as if with an earmark
2
: to set aside for a special purpose
money earmarked for a vacation

More from Merriam-Webster on earmark

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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