designation

From Middle English designacioun, from Latin dēsignātiō, and partly (especially in sense 5) from design +‎ -ation.^[1] By surface analysis, designate +‎ -ion.

• IPA^(key): /dɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (Southern England):

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• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

designation (countable and uncountable, plural designations)

1. An act or instance of designating

   Synonym: indication

2. Selection and appointment for a purpose or office.

   His designation as chief justice was controversial.

   • July 2021, Omar Marrero, quoted in CyberNews[1]

     The designation of funds by Governor Pedro Pierluisi will also allow non-profit entities to continue providing services to communities

3. That which designates; a distinguishing mark or name; distinctive title; appellation.
   • 1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiv:

     The Romans evolved a quite different system of nomenclature, which in its classical form consisted of three names, the praenomen (e.g. Marcus), nomen (e.g. Tullius), and cognomen (e.g. Cicero), and two other designations (the name of the father and of the tribe): […]

   • 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 144:

     Man is the most aggressive animal in the sea (and on the land as well), and all the "man-eater" stories in history will not change this designation.

4. Signification, meaning, for example of a word or phrase.
   • 1953, Jacob Hooper Wise, The Meaning in Reading:

     It doesn't list all the connotations that the term may have in various contexts: it specifies the designation of the term, or one of the designations of the term.

6. (obsolete) Purpose, aim, intention.
   • [1658, Edward Phillips, compiler, “Designation”, in The New World of English Words: Or, A General Dictionary: […], London: […] E. Tyler, for Nath[aniel] Brook […], →OCLC, signature M, recto, column 1:

     Deſignation, or Deſign, (Lat[in] and French) a purpoſing or contriving.]

   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “Of the Signification of Words”, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book III, § 7, page 189:

     But ſo far as Words are of Uſe and Signification, ſo far is there a conſtant connexion between the Sound and the Idea; and a Designation, that the one ſtand for the other: without which Application of them, they are nothing, but ſo much inſignificant Noiſe.

   • 1737, Flavius Josephus, translated by William Whiston, “[…] Antiquities of the Jews”, in The Genuine Works of Flavius Josephus, the Jewish Historian. […], volume III, Dublin: […] R. Reilly: For George Ewing […], published 1741, →OCLC, book XVIII […], chapter VI (Of the Navigation of King [Herod] Agrippa to Rome, to Tiberius Cesar: […]), page 456:

     When he had thus reſolved within himſelf, he ſent to his grandſon’s tutor, and ordered him to bring the child to him early in the morning: as ſuppoſing that God would permit him to be made Emperor. But God proved oppoſite to his deſignation.

   • 1763, [Frances Brooke], “To Miss Howard”, in The History of Lady Julia Mandeville. […], new edition, volume II, London: […] R[obert] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, page 2:

     Convinced that this mutual paſſion is the deſignation of Heaven to reſtore him to that affluence he loſt by the partiality of an anceſtor and the generous loyalty of his family, I give way to it without reſerve; […]

   • a. 1807, James Barry, “Lecture II. On Design.”, in The Works of James Barry, Esq., Historical Painter; […], volume I, London: […] J. M‘Creery, […] for T[homas] Cadell and W[illiam] Davies, […], published 1809, →OCLC, page 397:

     In fine, our rule for judging of the mode and degree of this combination of variety and unity, seems to be no other than that of its fitness, and conformity to the designation of each species.

• See also Thesaurus:name

• “designation”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.