denoting

[ dih-noh-ting ]

adjective

1. being a name or designation for something; meaning or referring to something:

   Bertrand Russell initially assumed that every denoting phrase—such as "Scott," "the number two," or "the golden mountain"—had to refer to an actually existing entity.

2. being a symbol that represents or stands for something:

   When any design in metal or pottery is registered as copyright, the denoting mark is impressed upon each article as it is made.

3. being an indicator or sign of something; identifying:

   The denoting signs of a company in financial distress usually include salary cuts, layoffs, and the resignation of top executives.

noun

1. the act or fact of naming, representing, indicating, or referring to something by means of a symbol, word, phrase, label, etc.:

   One thing that helps to standardize the spelling of placenames is the denoting of them by government-erected road signs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of denoting¹

First recorded in 1885–90; denot(e) ( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses; denot(e) ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

Finals rematches denote whether a combination ever occurred before in the history of the Stanley Cup Final.

From FiveThirtyEight

So many sets of parentheses show up on the latest oil company earnings reports denoting losses that long columns of figures seem to be doing a shimmy right on the page.

From Washington Post

The lyrical mosaic of “Etta and Ella on the Upper West Side” denotes a play-builder in her prime.

From Washington Post

To try to find that second location, he took pictures, tried to match them to his maps, and marked down the labeled sticks denoting mining claims.

From Popular-Science

One of the things that happened early on is that the government at the federal level basically denoted which businesses they viewed as essential businesses.

From Time

The video has since been reinstated with an adult content warning denoting explicit material.

From The Daily Beast

Others were tying pieces of the orange plastic around their arms, apparently denoting their “media center” status.

From The Daily Beast

He distinguished them from other bureau files by calling them “confidential,” denoting secrecy.

From The Daily Beast

Sixth, the (p. 264) last, is the mark denoting the number of cigars in the box.

From Project Gutenberg

Superlatives and all words denoting comparison should be used with stinginess.

From Project Gutenberg

By a general word is meant a word common to or denoting a large number of ideas.

From Project Gutenberg

Language is an important means of denoting the intricate thread of history in savage nations.

From Project Gutenberg

Its substantives are provided with adjective inflections, denoting size and quality.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• compelling
• important
• momentous
• powerful
• serious
• symbolic