designation

American  

[dez-ig-ney-shuhn] / ˌdɛz ɪgˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

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

• dedesignation noun
• redesignation noun

Etymology

Origin of designation

1350–1400; Middle English designacioun < Latin dēsignātiōn- (stem of dēsignātiō ) a marking out, equivalent to dēsignāt ( us ) ( designate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

President Cyril Ramaphosa's designation of the outbreak as a national disaster allows the government to release extra funds and speed up the acquisition of vaccines from abroad.

From BBC

Prior to this vote, there were no state designations that recognized the Black community — a realization that made Smallwood-Cuevas jump into action.

From Los Angeles Times

Haiti’s TPS designation was slated to be terminated on Feb. 3.

From MarketWatch

Because that designation is typically used for foreign adversaries, the move would mark an unusual rebuke of a U.S. company.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some might even see the Pentagon’s new designations as a gift to Alibaba and Baidu that could drive more support from Beijing and nationalist Chinese consumers, with few real costs.

From Barron's

Related Words

• classification
• description
• moniker
• nickname