denote

American  

[dih-noht] / dɪˈnoʊt /

verb (used with object)

• denotes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• denoted,
  past participle,  past
• denoting
  present participle

1. to be a mark or sign of; indicate.

   A fever often denotes an infection.

   Synonyms:

   evidence, signify, signal, mark

2. to be a name or designation for; mean.

3. to represent by a symbol, or to be a symbol for.

---

denote British  

/ dɪˈnəʊt /

verb

1. to be a sign, symbol, or symptom of; indicate or designate

2. (of words, phrases, expressions, etc) to have as a literal or obvious meaning

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• denotement
  noun
• denotable
  adjective
• undenotable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• denoting
  present
• denoted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• denote
  simple
• denotes
  simple
• have denoted
  perfect
• has denoted
  perfect
• am denoting
  progressive
• are denoting
  progressive
• is denoting
  progressive
• have been denoting
  perfect progressive
• has been denoting
  perfect progressive

Past

• denoted
  simple
• had denoted
  perfect
• was denoting
  progressive
• were denoting
  progressive
• had been denoting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will denote
  simple
• will have denoted
  perfect
• will be denoting
  progressive
• will have been denoting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of denote

First recorded in 1585–95; from Middle French dénoter, Latin dēnotāre “to mark out,” equivalent to dē- de- + notāre “to mark”; see note

Compare meaning

How does denote compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• denote vs. connote

Explanation

To denote is to draw attention to something or to show what it means. All of the googly-eyed looks that a girl gives to a boy might do more to denote her feelings for him than leaving a note in his locker. Denote comes from the Latin root dēnotāre, "to mark out." Using a particular facial expression can denote meaning, as in, "All of the crinkled foreheads and squinted eyebrows denoted a lack of understanding among the math students." Words and symbols also point to, or denote, meaning, "If he had used PST to denote the fact that he was in the Pacific time zone, she would have known that it was only 4:00 a.m. and too early to call from New York."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

denote denotes denoted denoting

She called them unicorns to denote their exceptional rareness.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

Before long, Ms. Kobza notes, a new term entered the English vocabulary to denote an “assembly of maskers.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

If you think those pies denote happiness, you would be right.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2025

Denmark's largest grocery store operator, Salling Group, recently introduced a symbol, a black star, on pricing labels to denote European brands.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2025

“Worm” was also used to denote an enemy or a coward or anything alien to the Sparra.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

The phrase "that dog in them" is common slang that usually denotes a fierce drive.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

“It’s a defeat for Cuba and denotes its weakening, highlighting vulnerabilities in its security procedures,” said María Werlau, author of “Cuba’s Intervention in Venezuela,” a book published in 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026

Audiences become part of the show — “immersive theater” denotes the involvement of the ticket buyer, usually by interacting with or following the cast.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2025

It denotes licentiousness and lack of control, the actions of a toddler gorging himself on chocolate until he is sick.

From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2025

When prefixed to the name of an office, ex- denotes that the person formerly held the office named: as, ex-mayor, the former mayor.

From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton

Snapped in 1988, the photo shows a time he refers to as his “cholo” era, denoted by his subtle pencil mustache and slicked-back hair.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

When parking spots are scarce, supercar drivers often take to loading zones, bus stops and other spaces denoted with double yellow lines—the British marker of “no parking.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

This zone of extreme pessimism is denoted by the shaded area at the bottom of the chart above.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 9, 2026

In its original form, the "blue check" on X denoted a user who was independently verified by the platform as a news source, celebrity or other notable figure.

From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2025

The three basic strategies underlying writing systems differ in the size of the speech unit denoted by one written sign: either a single basic sound, a whole syllable, or a whole word.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Now Andy Burnham has brought her back into government with a big job running the Cabinet Office and the title of first secretary of state, denoting her senior rank.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

"Symbolic marriage certificate" reads the document, with a special space denoting "paw print of your furry friend."

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

During her morning news conference, she seemed to mock some of the U.S. evidence, including hand-written ledgers allegedly denoting payoffs to Mexican politicians.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

In early scenes, he has a small curved line denoting a chubby chin, which changes over time to straight lines on each cheek, narrowing his face when he is old and infirm.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026

The second one makes a twirling motion beside his ear, with his finger, denoting craziness.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• stand for