Designation

How to spell designation

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce designation

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does designation mean?

1. nounAn official name, title, or label given to a person, place, or thing.
2. nounThe act of formally choosing or assigning someone or something to a particular role or purpose.

Designation in a sentence

• Her job designation on the contract reads senior analyst.

• The designation of the park as a nature reserve took several years.

• The building lost its protected heritage designation after the appeal.

• His designation as team leader surprised the rest of the office.

Where does designation come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin designare, meaning 'to mark out' or 'to point out', formed from the prefix de- (here adding a sense of 'down' or 'completely') and signare 'to mark', which itself comes from signum 'a mark or sign'. The Latin noun designatio described the act of marking something out or appointing it to a role. English took the word in through Old French in the fifteenth century, originally in the sense of indicating or specifying something precisely. Over time it gathered the modern meanings of an official title or label given to a person or thing, and the act of formally assigning such a status. The same signum root sits inside everyday relatives such as 'sign', 'signal', and 'design', and noticing the buried word 'sign' is a handy way to remember the spelling.

How the word is built

• de- (down/completely)
• sign (mark)
• -ation (noun of action/result)