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

approved the area's designation as a wildlife refuge

4

: the relation between a sign and the thing signified

Synonyms of designation

• moniker
• name
• title
• nomenclature
• nickname
• appellation

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

Congress had written the exclusion around designation, and the court said only Congress could rewrite it around use. — John Mildenberger, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026

All four embrace their Crew-13 designation that pays homage in their mission patch to Apollo 13. — Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026

Each seeker can maintain its own targeting process without continuous laser designation. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

The new California designation will be awarded to public and private institutions that excel at providing academic resources to Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander students. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see designate entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing designation

• self-designation

Rhymes for designation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids 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