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

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That designation was later withdrawn or revoked by BioDiem, an Australian biotech that had planned to test epitalon for retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that affects at least 80,000 people in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

Musk’s designation as the world’s first trillionaire is based on dubious Wall Street math.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The United States said Wednesday it will delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, a decades-old designation that severely impeded investment, in a new vote of confidence in leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

In the sixties, minority became a synonym for socially disadvantaged Americans—but it was primarily a numerical designation.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Make sure to update your beneficiary designations, powers of attorney, healthcare directives and will.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

As the former head of the State Department’s office that recommended to the secretary of state which groups to designate, I’ve been involved in the designations of hundreds of individuals and organizations.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

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

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Their designations reflected their use: fighters—also called pursuit planes—were assigned letters F or P: for example, the Chance Vought F4U Corsair or the North American P-51 Mustang.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• classification
• description
• moniker
• nickname