designation

American  

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

noun

• designations
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• dedesignation
  noun
• redesignation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• designations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of designation

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

Explanation

When something has a designation, it has a title or a description that helps you identify it. The “organic” designation on the vegetables you buy lets you know that no pesticides were used in growing the plants. Designation can refer to a title, official or otherwise. You may earn the designation “class clown” for your goofiness, or ask your friends to refer to you by the designation, "Madame Super Brain." Designation is also the act of assigning such a title or position, like the designation of your daughter as heir to your estate. Often, designation refers to giving a formal position. The district board may be responsible for the designation of the next principal at your school.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

designation designations

The climbing case counts also threaten the nation’s measles-elimination status, a designation the country earned more than two decades ago due to widespread vaccination efforts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

If, as the account owner, you had a will leaving assets to a third party, it would not override a valid beneficiary designation.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

The decision by the Department of Homeland Security to extend or terminate TPS typically has been made at least 60 days before the designation was set to expire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

Rolison’s case is one of inertia; he most likely forgot about his beneficiary designation entirely.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

At exactly one minute to noon, one of the Supply Droids, designation SD-03, powered itself on and disengaged from its charging dock.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

The NCO advises reviewing your beneficiary designations to make sure they’re current, and making a list of all assets.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

The United States has already applied similar designations to other Ecuadorian gangs, Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and Mexico's Sinaloa cartel.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

The USDA, for example, relies on the maps as part of a "fast track" process for issuing disaster designations.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

But these designations do not overcome the environmental hurdles.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Lyell originally intended to employ "–synchronous" for his endings, giving us such crunchy designations as Meiosynchronous and Pleiosynchronous.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• classification
• description
• moniker
• nickname