hallmark

noun hall·mark \ ˈhȯl-ˌmärk \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of hallmark

1 a : an official mark stamped on gold and silver articles in England to attest their purity

b : a mark or device placed or stamped on an article of trade to indicate origin, purity, or genuineness

a hallmark from the Ming dynasty

2 : a distinguishing characteristic, trait, or feature

the dramatic flourishes which are the hallmark of the trial lawyer
—Marion K. Sanders

See hallmark defined for English-language learners

See hallmark defined for kids

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Examples of hallmark in a Sentence

He had all the hallmarks of a great baseball player.
Humor is one of the hallmarks of her style.
The murder bore all the hallmarks of a serial killer's work.

Recent Examples of hallmark from the Web

Praising counter-jihadist work, courting their support, but not outright endorsing their most radical claims: Those are the hallmarks of the Bolton approach to the movement.

— zack beauchamp, Vox, "How John Bolton and Mike Pompeo mainstreamed Islamophobia," 27 Mar. 2018
Those are hallmarks of a team that can make noise in March.

— marc tracy, New York Times, "Here Are 6 N.C.A.A. Bracket Busters. You’ve Been Warned.," 12 Mar. 2018
Michigan State, too, needs to heal and to emerge a stronger institution, one where safety, respect, and civility are hallmarks.

— chris solari, Detroit Free Press, "MSU interim president: ESPN report 'sensationalized packaged reporting'," 13 Feb. 2018
To me, those are the hallmarks of a good mix between cyberpunk and adventure-game genres in one short, bittersweet package.

— steven strom, Ars Technica, "The Red Strings Club," 7 Feb. 2018
Just as in sports, hard work and practice in academics are hallmarks of success, not signs of an insurmountable lack of talent.

— Philly.com, "Hard work, not just talent, makes for winning athletes - and scholars," 26 Jan. 2018
What are the hallmarks of a true smoky eye, in your opinion?

— kathleen hou, The Cut, "The Original Inventor of the Smoky Eye Is Here to Tell You How to Do It Right," 12 Jan. 2018
Fundamentals are a hallmark of defenses coached by Phillips, the coordinator of the San Diego team that in 2006 led the NFL in sacks and went 14-2.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fight For L.A.? Rams are packing a punch," 27 Mar. 2018
Keeping aides and advisers close is a hallmark of most typical politicians.

— dan merica, CNN, "In Trump's world, once you check in you rarely check out," 27 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of hallmark

Goldsmiths' Hall, London, England, where gold and silver articles were assayed and stamped

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1721

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hallmark Synonyms

Synonyms

attribute, attribution, character, characteristic, criterion, differentia, feature, fingerprint, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, specific, stamp, touch, trait;

Related Words

badge, indication, sign;

emblem, symbol, token;

charm, grace;

excellence, merit, virtue;

eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, oddity, quirk;

individuality, singularity, uniqueness;

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

hallmark

verb

Definition of hallmark

transitive verb

: to stamp with a mark that indicates origin, purity, or genuineness : to stamp with a hallmark (see ¹hallmark)

Recent Examples of hallmark from the Web

The inside linebacker blitzes that have long hallmarked Pittsburgh’s scheme also remain.

— andy benoit, SI.com, "The Pittsburgh Steelers Might Have the Best Defense in the AFC," 20 Sep. 2017
The driving idea behind the projects has been to embed the cooperative multiplayer experience within the company’s hallmark open-world games.

— gieson cacho, The Mercury News, "Review: ‘Ghost Recon: Wildlands’ — flawed but deep open-world shooter," 7 Mar. 2017

Origin and Etymology of hallmark

see ¹hallmark

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1773

See Words from the same year

HALLMARK Defined for English Language Learners

hallmark

noun

Definition of hallmark for English Language Learners

: a quality, ability, etc., that is typical of a particular person or thing
: an official mark that is put on gold and silver objects in Britain to indicate their purity