marker

noun

mark·​er ˈmär-kər 

1

: one that marks

2

: something used for marking: such as

a

: a type of felt tip pen that makes wide lines

drew a tree with green and brown markers

used a permanent marker to label the boxes

b

: any of various sewing devices for making or indicating guidelines

a pin marker for hemlines

3

: score sense 7

specifically : run

4

: promissory note, iou

5

: something that serves to identify, predict, or characterize: such as

a

: biomarker

b

: genetic marker

Synonyms of marker

• label

Examples of marker in a Sentence

A person's accent can be a marker of social class.

the markers on the rock and mineral specimens were old and faded

Recent Examples on the Web

Varland to start the ninth and was standing on second when Bregman took a 1-2 knuckle-curve and deposited it off the wall and into the basket near the yellow 358-foot marker near the foul pole. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

BeX says Rizer’s early support has been a marker of the group’s momentum – the band sold out its pre-order run before the album’s official release. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Hamilton, driving a Hyundai Sonata, fled at speeds of up to 130 mph, prompting the trooper to use the ramming technique state police refer to as a tactical vehicle intervention in an attempt to spin Hamilton out and halt him near the 28-mile marker. — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 7 Aug. 2026

Ward explained that despite being unable to attain traditional markers of economic success such as home-buying, Gen Z is able to find financial empowerment elsewhere, not just through investing, but paving the way for their own careers. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing marker

• genetic marker

Rhymes for marker

• barker
• darker
• starker
• biomarker

Kids Definition

marker

noun

mark·​er ˈmär-kər 

1

: one that marks

2

: something used for marking

Medical Definition

marker

noun

mark·​er ˈmär-kər 

: something that serves to identify, predict, or characterize

a surface marker on a cell that acts as an antigen

: as

a

: biomarker

The recent discovery of a serological marker for the hepatitis C virus has greatly improved diagnostic accuracy for this form of hepatitis.

—Gary P. Wormser, letter in The Journal of the American Medical Association

b

: genetic marker

The idea in genetic linkage analysis is to see if any particular marker, which serves as a signpost for a specific region of a chromosome, is consistently inherited along with the disease …

—Leslie Roberts, Science

called also marker gene