designation

American  

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

noun

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

• dedesignation noun
• redesignation noun

Etymology

Origin of designation

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

Example Sentences

This designation can help speed up the development and approval process.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

What are their qualifications — do they hold certifications like the certified financial planner designation?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

However, the designation does not require proof that the device works, and applications must merely state that they are being used to study a rare disease affecting children.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

The designation followed a dispute over Anthropic’s AI tool limitations for military use; Anthropic argued retribution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Spontaneously the throng began to sing “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” which many thought of as the national anthem although no song had yet received that designation.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• classification
• description
• moniker
• nickname