verb
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to be a sign, symbol, or symptom of; indicate or designate
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(of words, phrases, expressions, etc) to have as a literal or obvious meaning
Other Word Forms
- denotable adjective
- denotement noun
- undenotable adjective
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”; note
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It can be be used to denote the southern extent of the aurora.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025
As part of her quest to revive N|uu, she and her granddaughter, Claudia Snyman, established a school for the language, which uses special characters in script to denote the verbal clicks.
From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025
There aren’t even historical markers to denote the significance of those city lots.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2025
Inside were the numerous trade certificates he’d earned over the years, along with letters of recommendation and business receipts, which he kept in neat stacks held together by different colored binders to denote the month.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024
I use the term racial caste in this book the way it is used in common parlance to denote a stigmatized racial group locked into an inferior position by law and custom.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.