Meaning & use
designate
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To formally choose someone for a job or duty, or set something aside for a particular purpose.
Grammar: Takes an object: designate a driver. A role can follow directly or after as.
Patterns
- designate someone (as) something
- designate something for something
- designate someone to do something
The council designated the old mill a historic site.
She was designated team captain before the season began.
We designated this room for quiet study.
verbtransitive
To mark or point out something with a sign, name or symbol so that its meaning is clear.
Grammar: The subject is a sign or label; it takes an object: the red line designates the border.
Patterns
- something designates something
The letter A designates the first row of seats.
Blue lines on the map designate rivers.
The sign designated the lane for buses only.
Word forms
| third person singular | designates |
|---|---|
| past tense | designated |
| past participle | designated |
| -ing form | designating |
Common combinations
- designate a successor
- The president designated his deputy as successor.
- designated driver
- Tonight Maya is the designated driver.
- designate an area
- The city designated the park a quiet zone.
- officially designated
- The reef was officially designated a protected area.
- designate as
- The building was designated as a heritage site.
Synonyms and how they differ
- appoint
- Appoint is for placing someone in a job, while designate can also be used for places and things.
- nominate
- Nominate means putting a name forward for a choice that someone else may still make, so it is less final than designate.
- assign
- Assign suggests handing out a task or place to someone, with less ceremony than designate.
- earmark
- Earmark is mostly used for setting money or resources aside, a narrower use than designate.
Opposites
Word family
- designation noun
- an official name or title, or the act of choosing
- designated adjective
- officially chosen or set aside
- designator noun
- a person or thing that marks or names
- designee noun
- a person who has been officially chosen
Commonly confused: designate or design?
designate vs design
Design means to plan how something will look or work, while designate means to officially choose or name. They share a root, but only designate is about selection.
Practice
The principal will ____ one teacher to represent the school at the national conference.
Choose one answer.
Designate means to formally choose someone for a role. Design means to create a plan or layout, which is the tempting but wrong option here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “designate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.