highlighter

American  

[hahy-lahy-ter] / ˈhaɪˌlaɪ tər /

noun

• highlighters
  plural

1. a felt-tip pen with a wide nib for highlighting passages of printed material in a soft, transparent color.

2. a cosmetic powder or cream applied to the face in places where light would naturally hit, as the cheeks, forehead, chin, and center of the nose, to create a glowing effect.

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highlighter British  

/ ˈhaɪˌlaɪtə /

noun

1. a cosmetic cream or powder applied to the face to highlight the cheekbones, eyes, etc

2. a fluorescent felt-tip pen used as a marker to emphasize a section of text without obscuring it

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• highlighters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of highlighter

First recorded in 1965–70; highlight + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

highlighter highlighters

“They’ve had a curated set of items that they’ve gone after, so whether that be in blushes or in lips or in highlighter or bronzing categories, they’re seeing strength across the board,” Fields said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

I grabbed a highlighter from the bottom of my bag and began sketching a little illustration of the soup, coloring in the carrot chunks with bright orange.

From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2025

Santos recommends an Estée Lauder foundation and for Gaetz to avoid highlighter altogether.

From Slate ● Jan. 12, 2025

Overcome by a “huge wave of inspiration”, she now says, she pulled out her mini Jack Wills diary and wrote in pink highlighter:

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2024

He seems completely unfazed by the wagging highlighter of Lydia.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden

“In the old days, which was a year ago…you’d print out the statements of the town Visa card, Mastercard, and you would hand out a box of highlighters and go to work.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

To get a sense of whether you’re spending your money meaningfully, Agnew suggests we review monthly spending with highlighters in three different colors.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025

Towering 7-meter-high LED screens pulsed with vivid yellows and fuchsias, reminiscent of highlighters underscoring vital messages – and used by secretaries the world over.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 26, 2023

Writing tools and supplies — including crayons, highlighters, pens, and pencils — have increased an average of 18.5% in the last 10 months.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2023

I lift a box of highlighters, all shaped like boiled eggs.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman