indicate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to be a sign of; betoken; evidence; show.
His hesitation really indicates his doubt about the venture.
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to point out or point to; direct attention to.
to indicate a place on a map.
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to show, as by measuring or recording; make known.
The thermometer indicates air temperature.
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to state or express, especially briefly or in a general way; signal.
He indicated his disapproval but did not go into detail.
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Medicine/Medical.
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(of symptoms) to point out (a particular remedy, treatment, etc.) as suitable or necessary.
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to show the presence of (a condition, infection, etc.).
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verb
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(may take a clause as object) to be or give a sign or symptom of; imply
cold hands indicate a warm heart
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to point out or show
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(may take a clause as object) to state briefly; suggest
he indicated what his feelings were
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(of instruments) to show a reading of
the speedometer indicated 50 miles per hour
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(usually passive) to recommend or require
surgery seems to be indicated for this patient
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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indicatesimple
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indicatessimple
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have indicatedperfect
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has indicatedperfect
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am indicatingprogressive
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are indicatingprogressive
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is indicatingprogressive
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have been indicatingperfect progressive
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has been indicatingperfect progressive
Past
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indicatedsimple
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had indicatedperfect
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was indicatingprogressive
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were indicatingprogressive
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had been indicatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of indicate
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin indicātus, past participle of indicāre “to point, make known,” equivalent to indic- (stem of index ) “pointer, marker, informer” + -ātus past participle suffix; see index, -ate 1
Explanation
To indicate means to point something out or to present evidence. If you feel sick during a car trip, you can indicate this to the driver by groaning loudly or announcing "I'm going to be sick!" Scientists rely on data from experiments to indicate whether their theories are correct. Indicate can also describe a symptom or signal of something else. For example, a stock market recovery could indicate growing public confidence — or foolishness, depending on which expert you ask. The verb indicate comes from the noun indication, which in turn comes from the Latin word indicare, meaning "something that points out or shows."
Vocabulary lists containing indicate
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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.
“This would indicate a very high likelihood that we will be breaking new global temperature records in just a few months,” Labe said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
Researchers suggest this may indicate that the animal received some level of care or lived in circumstances where it did not need to hunt large prey to survive.
From Science Daily • Jul. 5, 2026
Authorities did not indicate the referral was related to impairment or a medical emergency.
From Salon • Jul. 5, 2026
The prices, which can be altered up or down, are set by the seller and only indicate an asking price, not what a buyer is prepared to pay.
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
Figure 1.48: A whole rest may be used to indicate a completely silent measure, no matter what the actual length of the measure will be.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
