denoting
Americanadjective
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being a name or designation for something; meaning or referring to something.
Bertrand Russell initially assumed that every denoting phrase—such as "Scott," "the number two," or "the golden mountain"—had to refer to an actually existing entity.
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being a symbol that represents or stands for something.
When any design in metal or pottery is registered as copyright, the denoting mark is impressed upon each article as it is made.
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being an indicator or sign of something; identifying.
The denoting signs of a company in financial distress usually include salary cuts, layoffs, and the resignation of top executives.
noun
Etymology
Origin of denoting
First recorded in 1885–90; denot(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; denot(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun sense
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.
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 death certificate for Katherine Elizabeth Hartley, which was obtained by TMZ, includes a field denoting how the injury occurred.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
But the brief also asserts the U.S. is involved in a noninternational armed conflict with the cartels, a legal term denoting one within the territory of a single state.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
This is now a world, the orders seem to suggest, in which the names on a map, such as those denoting Denali or the Gulf of Mexico, are fragile and subject to revision without notice.
From Slate • Jan. 27, 2025
“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
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.
