watermark

1 of 2

noun

wa·​ter·​mark ˈwȯ-tər-ˌmärk 

ˈwä-

1

: a mark indicating the height to which water has risen

2

: a marking in paper resulting from differences in thickness usually produced by pressure of a projecting design in the mold or on a processing roll and visible when the paper is held up to the light

also : the design of or the metal pattern producing the marking

watermark

2 of 2

verb

watermarked; watermarking; watermarks

transitive verb

1

: to mark (paper) with a watermark

2

: to impress (a given design) as a watermark

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There can be little doubt that Serie A of the 1980s and 1990s was the high watermark in club football history. —Emmet Gates, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2023

On-Screen Appearances: The late horror baron Stuart Gordon's Dolls (1987) is a high-watermark of the killer doll genre, eclipsed only by Chucky and his venerable franchise. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 12 Jan. 2023

Some of the images also featured the Getty watermark, but with garbled text. —Matt O'brien And Arijeta Lajka, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Jan. 2023

How many of us really need or want to hit that high a watermark in our own careers? —Mike Rucker, Time, 12 Jan. 2023

Per the Academy guidelines, this covers the cost of an invisible watermark and its technical team’s extensive quality control review. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 2 Nov. 2022

The iconic session was the high watermark for band unity. —Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 10 Nov. 2022

Wilding’s search for the monogram turned up another Galileo document at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York, which had a slightly different watermark with the same monogram. —New York Times, 17 Aug. 2022

The Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Chrono is a new high watermark for the genre. —Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2022

Verb

Some watermark their composites with original logos. —Fawnia Soo Hoo, refinery29.com, 24 Aug. 2021

Artists who are concerned about digital piracy should watermark their photos. —arkansasonline.com, 26 Mar. 2021

Bluitt has tried to watermark her photos, but they are stolen anyway. —Keith Bierygolick, The Enquirer, 16 Nov. 2020

There are even mobile apps like eZy Watermark (iOS, Android) that will watermark your smartphone photos. —Harry Guinness, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2020

However, these images are now watermarked, and Top Nine charges $2.99 to remove it and $2.99 to create a video of the nine images, or $3.99 for both. —Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2019

The script, indeed, appeared on the consumer-to-consumer website with Boyega’s name watermarked on every page, according to the actor. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 28 Nov. 2019

But to help smooth things over, the original tape will be destroyed and all copies watermarked, according to court documents obtained by Billboard. —Tatiana Cirisano, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2019

At the same time, the image itself degraded, growing more compressed and watermarked with more layers of text scribbled out and written over again. —Verge Staff, The Verge, 27 Dec. 2018

See More

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

watermark

1 of 2 noun

wa·​ter·​mark ˈwȯt-ər-ˌmärk 

ˈwät-

1

: a mark that shows the height to which water has risen

2

: a mark (as the maker's name or trademark) made in paper during manufacture and visible when the paper is held up to the light

watermark

2 of 2 verb

: to mark with a watermark