indicate
Americanverb (used with object)
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indicates,
present (3rd person singular)
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indicated,
past participle, past
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indicating
present participle
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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
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interindicateverb (used with object)
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reindicateverb (used with object)
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indicatableadjective
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indicatoryadjective
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unindicatedadjective
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well-indicatedadjective
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.
See Examples For:
Commercial tracking firms generally indicate lower oil flows through the strait, though their estimates are complicated by vessels operating with their transponders switched off and making other hard-to-track movements to avoid being attacked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Current estimates indicate that the second correction and orbital insertion should both require less fuel than originally budgeted.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Anyone could be rejected because health or medical-test results indicate a high probability of problems that might lead to a need for long-term care.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Headlines across Europe indicate a lot of confusion right now.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The triangle at right, whose peak is the standing man waving a shirt, is composed of dynamic figures, with arms outstretched to indicate their surging hopes.
From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell
Nearly twenty scrolls discovered at Qumran address calendars and astronomy, an unusually large number that indicates how significant these subjects were to the community.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
“Basically, we’re not seeing anything that indicates that there’s a problem with air quality and would result in exposure at the facility at this time.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
In McPeake’s view, CoreWeave’s equity raises “were inevitable” given its debt-to-market-capitalization ratio of 0.9, which indicates that it is highly reliant on borrowed money.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
The latest seasonal outlook from the Met Office indicates an increased likelihood of a wetter-than-average autumn.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
This indicates she's a direct relative of the queen.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Ecological modeling also indicated that the new species favors a different type of habitat than similar members of the genus.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Chairman Kevin Warsh indicated that officials don’t believe interest rates are currently restraining the economy even after the quarter-point move.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
But, Tur pointed out, the fire that resulted when the copter crashed indicated there was still fuel onboard, so the engines likely shut down for another reason.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Builders indicated that they are contending with higher costs when it comes to new-home construction.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
“In animal coloring and camouflage,” Mr. Lyons practically yelled, “what characteristic is usually indicated by bright, vivid colors?”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste posted a statement Sunday on Instagram apologizing for “the recent events in China” and indicating that the competition has taken unspecified steps to prevent another such occurrence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Maria O’Callaghan pointed to a web of purple lines on her screen, indicating the locations of undersea cables carrying data crucial for internet services and banking transfers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
"The phytoliths found at Cloggs Cave were from different parts of grass plants such as stems, leaves, flowers and roots, indicating that whole grasses were brought in, including the inedible parts," said Grono.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
In Thursday trading U.S. 10-year bonds were yielding 4.83% and Nasdaq futures were indicating a lower open.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Just then, the light indicating that a patient needs assistance lights up.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
