marked

American  

[mahrkt, mahr-kid] / mɑrkt, ˈmɑr kɪd /

adjective

1. strikingly noticeable; conspicuous.

   with marked success.

   Synonyms:

   prominent, obvious, outstanding, striking

2. watched as an object of suspicion or vengeance.

   a marked man.

3. having a mark or marks.

   beautifully marked birds; to read the marked pages.

4. Linguistics.

   1. (of a phoneme) characterized by the presence of a phonological feature that serves to distinguish it from an otherwise similar phoneme lacking that feature, as (d), which, in contrast to (t), is characterized by the presence of voicing.

   2. characterized by the presence of a marker indicating the grammatical function of a construction, as the plural in English, which, in contrast to the singular, is typically indicated by the presence of the marker -s.

   3. specifying an additional element of meaning, in contrast to a semantically related item, as drake in contrast to duck, where drake specifies “male” while duck does not necessarily specify sex.

   4. occurring less typically than an alternative form, as the word order in Down he fell in contrast to the more usual order of He fell down.

---

marked British  

/ ˈmɑːkɪdlɪ, mɑːkt /

adjective

1. obvious, evident, or noticeable

2. singled out, esp for punishment, killing, etc

   a marked man

3. linguistics distinguished by a specific feature, as in phonology. For example, of the two phonemes /t/ and /d/, the /d/ is marked because it exhibits the feature of voice

---

Other Word Forms

• half-marked
  adjective
• markedly
  adverb
• markedness
  noun
• well-marked
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of marked

Middle English; Old English gemearcod; see mark ¹, -ed ²

Explanation

Marked is an adjective meaning “clear” or “noticeable.” Filling your living room with pictures of pandas will show your marked appreciation for all things panda. The adjective marked can have several senses. In addition to meaning “very noticeable,” it can be used in relation to the noun mark, as in “to show a mark.” You may have also heard the expression a “marked man.” Marked in this sense means to have been chosen for punishment or a bad ending. Trip your opponent in this year’s field day sack race, and you will likely find yourself a marked man at the next contest.

Example Sentences

A surprise note from the company’s chair marked an escalation of the fight after the two sides appeared close to coming to terms.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

At the hospital in Rwampara, one of the epicentres of a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a simple plastic strip marked off the isolation centre for patients, yet to be built.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

It became obvious to me that the plan was to do a bunch of events that marked different styles and artists that we’ve focused on over the years.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

Makepeace-Warne said the Creg y Cowin area marked a large scale development but, looking ahead, bigger targets were in sight.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Both groups would walk toward the middle of the bridge, where a white line marked the border between East and West.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• considerable
• conspicuous
• decided
• distinct
• notable
• noticeable
• pronounced
• remarkable
• striking