designation
noun
des·ig·na·tion
ˌde-zig-ˈnā-shən 
1
: the act of indicating or identifying
the designation of a speech sound
2
: appointment to or selection for an office, post, or service
awaiting his next designation
3
: a distinguishing name, sign, or title
… the only star in Lynx with a Greek letter designation—
Richard Berry
Richard Berryapproved the area's designation as a wildlife refuge
4
: the relation between a sign and the thing signified
Examples of designation in a Sentence
Though many people call her a liberal, it is not a designation she uses herself.
we've never given the homemade gadget a proper designation
Recent Examples on the Web
Texas Wesleyan then asked the zoning commission to remove the house’s historic designation, which had been in place since 1990, according to previous Star-Telegram coverage.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
Terrorist designation, travel ban Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated some of Haiti’s most powerful gangs as global and foreign terrorists, a label that was welcomed by some Haitians, though others now see as having devastating consequences after President’s Trump travel ban.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
Mercy in Aurora and St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee lost their Level II trauma designations in recent months after Prime purchased them.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
The Truman Sports Complex twister, however, was given an EF-Unknown designation or EFU.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for designation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
Terrorist designation, travel ban Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated some of Haiti’s most powerful gangs as global and foreign terrorists, a label that was welcomed by some Haitians, though others now see as having devastating consequences after President’s Trump travel ban.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
Mercy in Aurora and St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee lost their Level II trauma designations in recent months after Prime purchased them.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
The Truman Sports Complex twister, however, was given an EF-Unknown designation or EFU.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for designation
Cite this Entry
“Designation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/designation. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
designation
noun
des·ig·na·tion
ˌdez-ig-ˈnā-shən
1
: the act of indicating or identifying
2
: appointment to or selection for an office, post, or service
3
: a name, sign, or title that identifies something
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share