Denote

How to spell denote

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce denote

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does denote mean?

1. verbTo be a sign of something, or to stand for or indicate a particular meaning.

Denote in a sentence

• On the map, a red dot can denote a fuel station.

• In chemistry, the letters denote the elements in a compound.

Where does denote come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin denotare, meaning 'to mark out' or 'to point out distinctly'. It was built from the prefix de-, used here as an intensifier meaning 'fully' or 'down', and notare, the verb 'to mark', which in turn came from nota, a 'mark', 'sign', or 'note'. English absorbed it in the late 1500s, partly through the French denoter, and it kept the core idea of marking something so that it stands for or points to a thing. The same nota root sits inside everyday relatives such as 'note', 'notice', 'notation', and 'annotate', all of which share the sense of marking or recording. Because the middle syllable is an unstressed schwa, writers sometimes hesitate over the vowel, but remembering the 'note' inside denote keeps the spelling steady.

How the word is built

• de- (fully, down)
• not (mark, from Latin notare 'to mark')
• -e