designation

American  

[dez-ig-ney-shuhn] / ˌdɛz ɪgˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

designations plural

1. an act of designating.

2. the fact of being designated.

3. something that designates; a distinctive name or title; appellation.

4. nomination, appointment, or election to an office, position, etc..

   His designation as treasurer has been confirmed.

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designation British  

/ ˌdɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. something that designates, such as a name or distinctive mark

2. the act of designating or the fact of being designated

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dedesignation
  noun
• redesignation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• designations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of designation

1350–1400; Middle English designacioun < Latin dēsignātiōn- (stem of dēsignātiō ) a marking out, equivalent to dēsignāt ( us ) ( see designate) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

When something has a designation, it has a title or a description that helps you identify it. The “organic” designation on the vegetables you buy lets you know that no pesticides were used in growing the plants. Designation can refer to a title, official or otherwise. You may earn the designation “class clown” for your goofiness, or ask your friends to refer to you by the designation, "Madame Super Brain." Designation is also the act of assigning such a title or position, like the designation of your daughter as heir to your estate. Often, designation refers to giving a formal position. The district board may be responsible for the designation of the next principal at your school.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

designation designations

"None of the obligations laid down by the DMA applies to iMessage since that service has not been listed in a designation decision as an important gateway," the court said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

The United States said Wednesday it will delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, a decades-old designation that severely impeded investment, in a new vote of confidence in leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

The U.S. lifted his terrorist designation last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

The designation “Hot Girl” does, however, have a widely acknowledged point of origin.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

There was a pair of silver-backed brushes his mother had given him when he was sixteen, engraved with his initials, the abbreviated degree designation of a doctor.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

It may be that the number of beneficiary designations and transfer-on-death deeds preempted an official probate process.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

The TPS law says that designations need to last between 6 and 18 months.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

The assets are made up of different types of funds under various sanctions designations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

Fisher said those designations "have to mean something".

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

Their designations reflected their use: fighters—also called pursuit planes—were assigned letters F or P: for example, the Chance Vought F4U Corsair or the North American P-51 Mustang.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• classification
• description
• moniker
• nickname