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 ULR in its designation stands for "ultra long distance", a feat made possible by an additional 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank being fitted to Airbus's A350-1000 model.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

He said, due to the former presence of greenhouses on the land, which then were destroyed and buried under a layer of top soil, it was reverted to agricultural designation.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

That designation was later withdrawn or revoked by BioDiem, an Australian biotech that had planned to test epitalon for retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that affects at least 80,000 people in the U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

The city now has a special land designation for parks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

There was a pair of silver-backed brushes his mother had given him when he was sixteen, engraved with his initials, the abbreviated degree designation of a doctor.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

But as I have noted, the designations are very peculiar.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

Like Lough Neagh, it has a number of specific designations intended to protect it.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Think about your insurance coverage, your beneficiary designations and your long-term plan.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026

The TPS law says that designations need to last between 6 and 18 months.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 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