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.

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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

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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

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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

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Compare meaning

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

• denote vs. connote

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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

Wilde “read” the water, pointing out the seams on the surface that denote shifting currents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

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

In a rear gallery, dark nighttime photographs are hung on walls painted black to denote the wee hours.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2025

In ancient music-making, pitch was fixed - defined - only by the length of your string or pipe, hence the need for a label like ‘A’ to denote the same sound made on different-shaped instruments.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

Originally the symbol for Maybach-Motorenbau—a maker of sternly grand luxury cars in Germany before World War II—the monogram now denotes Mercedes-Maybach, the sub-brand launched by Stuttgart in 2014 to compete against Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

In French, matière denotes not only physical matter but abstract conceptions such as fields of study and aesthetic phenomena such as the surface of paint.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 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 the first fever of human pair bonding.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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

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

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 9, 2026

"The Premier League's dominance is just denoted as a matter of fact," Honigstein said.

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026

Mr. Robbins returns in the last play, which gives the evening its title, again on a first date, with a character denoted only as Girl, played with cool poise by Dylan Gelula.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025

I waited a few moments, expecting he would go on with the subject first broached: but he seemed to have entered another train of reflection: his look denoted abstraction from me and my business.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

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

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

Without a letter denoting a political party next to their name on the ballot, independent candidates have historically gotten lost in the mix.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026

“It’s a means of determining the relative merits of propellants. By using the number denoting the specific impulse, calculations can be made to determine the exhaust velocity of a rocket and ultimately its overall performance.”

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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