designate

verb

ˈde-zig-ˌnāt How to pronounce designate (audio)
Definition of designatenext
1
as in to choose
to decide upon (the time or date for an event) usually from a position of authority the designated time for the meeting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to appoint
to pick (someone) by one's authority for a specific position or duty he has yet to designate his successor as head of the firm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to name
to give a name to he was designated "Air Jordan" by his fans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of designate Haiti was designated for TPS following the devastating 2010 earthquake and subsequent humanitarian crises. — Reginald David, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2026 Leona Maguire and Jeung-eun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated an LPGA major in 2013. — ABC News, 11 July 2026 Impulse Space will contract with the Space Force to provide end-to-end service, procuring a launch vehicle and then stacking the Helios stage and designated satellite into the payload fairing of the rocket. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026 The president designated the gang as a terrorist group and said Maduro had sent it to invade the United States, although some law enforcement officials say the administration exaggerated the threat to justify mass deportations. — Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for designate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for designate
  1. choose
  2. appoint
  3. name
  4. set
  5. nominate
  6. call
  7. select
  8. assign
Verb
  • Eustaquio chooses to cross into a central area and Bosnia clear the ball, but the idea — to draw opponents out and create an overload in one area — was sound.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Vernon Vernon is known as the trail capital of British Columbia, and hikers, cyclists, and mountain bikers have hundreds of miles of trails to choose from.
    — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
Definition of choose
Verb
  • He was appointed for that competition’s 2022 final, having taken charge of the Europa League final a year earlier.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • Yaghi will head the AI Chemistry and Materials Research Institute at Tsinghua, where he was appointed an honorary professor in 2022.
    — Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of appoint
Verb
  • He was named co-anchor last year, serving alongside Savannah Guthrie.
    — Tom Winter, NBC news, 17 July 2026
  • There’s one more named Faith after the George Michael song she was conceived to.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of name
Verb
  • Joe even sets a reminder on his phone for Ewan’s upcoming anniversary date.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • Fort Worth city officials say the goal is to create rules that protect neighborhoods while setting clear standards for future data center development.
    — Ken Molestina, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Definition of set
Verb
  • Eisenberg was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best screenplay, and his screenplay won a BAFTA Award, the Waldo Salt Award at the Sundance Film Festival, an Independent Spirit Award, and numerous other prizes.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 July 2026
  • It was nominated for 12 Oscars in 2013, and took home two, including best actor for Day-Lewis.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of nominate
Verb
  • If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 July 2026
  • The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is not usually life-threatening and is typically treated with antibiotics.
    — Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of call
Verb
  • Soto was the sole player selected to represent the Mets at the 96th edition of the Midsummer Classic, which will take place July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • Peninsula Family Service has been selected by the California Department of Education to assume operations of the Creative Montessori Learning Center in East Palo Alto, effective this month.
    — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 5 July 2026
Definition of select
Verb
  • The man — identified by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson — fled on foot, pursued by Memphis police officers along with Tennessee National Guard soldiers who are assigned to the area.
    — Joel Rose, NPR, 5 July 2026
  • Around the same time, Sullivan, who was assigned male at birth, began questioning her gender identity.
    — Elijah Polance, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
Definition of assign

Browse Nearby Words

design
designate
designated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Designate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/designate. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on designate

Nglish: Translation of designate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of obdurate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All