design

1 of 2

verb

de·​sign di-ˈzīn 

designed; designing; designs

transitive verb

1

: to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan : devise, contrive

design a system for tracking inventory

2

a

: to conceive and plan out in the mind

he designed the perfect crime

b

: to have as a purpose : intend

she designed to excel in her studies

c

: to devise for a specific function or end

a book designed primarily as a college textbook

a suitcase designed to hold a laptop computer

3

archaic : to indicate with a distinctive mark, sign, or name

4

a

: to make a drawing, pattern, or sketch of

… a curious woman whose dresses always looked as if they had been designed in a rage …

—Oscar Wilde

b

: to draw the plans for

design a building

designing a new bike

intransitive verb

1

: to conceive or execute a plan

2

: to draw, lay out, or prepare a design

was trained to design for homes and offices

designedly

di-ˈzī-nəd-lē 

adverb

design

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a particular purpose or intention held in view by an individual or group

He has ambitious designs for his son.

b

: deliberate purposive planning

more by accident than design

2

: a mental project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down

was never part of my design

3

a

: a deliberate undercover project or scheme : plot

a declaration of a design upon his life

—John Locke

b

designs plural : aggressive or evil intent

—used with on or against

he has designs on the money

4

: a preliminary sketch or outline showing the main features of something to be executed

the design for the new stadium

5

a

: an underlying scheme that governs functioning, developing, or unfolding : pattern, motif

the general design of the epic

b

: a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something (such as a scientific experiment)

also : the process of preparing this

6

: the arrangement of elements or details in a product or work of art

… his sense of structure, both in the general design of Paradise Lost and Samson, and in his syntax …

—T. S. Eliot

7

: a decorative pattern

a floral design

8

: the creative art of executing aesthetic or functional designs

studied design in college

Synonyms

Verb

• aim
• allow [chiefly Southern & Midland]
• aspire
• calculate
• contemplate
• go [chiefly Southern & Midland]
• intend
• look
• mean
• meditate
• plan
• propose
• purport
• purpose

Noun

• arrangement
• blueprint
• game
• game plan
• ground plan
• master plan
• plan
• program
• project
• road map
• scheme
• strategy
• system

Choose the Right Synonym for design

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain.

intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.

announced his intention to marry

intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

the clear intent of the statute

purpose suggests a more settled determination.

being successful was her purpose in life

design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

the order of events came by accident, not design

aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

her aim was to raise film to an art form

end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.

willing to use any means to achieve his end

object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.

his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

their objective is to seize the oil fields

goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

worked years to reach her goals

plan, design, plot, scheme, project mean a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end.

plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation.

plans for a house

design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony.

a design for a new dress

plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions.

the plot of the play

scheme stresses calculation of the end in view and may apply to a plan motivated by craftiness and self-interest.

a scheme to defraud the government

project often stresses imaginative scope and vision.

a project to develop the waterfront

Examples of design in a Sentence

Verb

A team of engineers designed the new engine.

Who designed the book's cover?

He designed the chair to adjust automatically.

They thought they could design the perfect crime.

design a strategy for battle

Noun

There are problems with the design of the airplane's landing gear.

I like the design of the textbook.

I love the sculpture's design.

The machine had a flawed design.

the design and development of new products

Correcting mistakes is part of the design process.

a number of design concepts

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Their unique approach to design and the exceptional quality of their clothing immediately appealed to me. —Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 19 Dec. 2024

Cell phones are quite literally designed to be addictive, and we’ve become conditioned to use them for far more than placing phone calls and sending text messages. —Jess Cording, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Noun

King stayed abroad for a bit, enrolling in design school in Leicester, England, and later lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for many years. —Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024

Embed their perspectives at every level and department—in R&D, design, customer service or sales. —Nohar Zmora, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, to outline, indicate, mean, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French designer to designate, from Medieval Latin designare, from Latin, to mark out, from de- + signare to mark — more at sign

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing design

• by design
• co-design
• graphic design
• intelligent design
• interior design

Kids Definition

design

1 of 2 verb

de·​sign di-ˈzīn 

1

a

: to think up and plan out in the mind

designed the perfect crime

b

: to have as a purpose : intend

designed to become a lawyer

c

: to create for a specific function or end

design a training program for auto mechanics

2

a

: to make a pattern or sketch of

design new fashions

b

: to think up and draw the plans for

design an airplane

design

2 of 2 noun

1

: a project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down

2

: deliberate planning : a planned intention

happened by accident rather than by design

3

: a secret project or scheme : plot

—often used in plural with on or against

had designs on the money

has no designs against friendly governments

4

: a preliminary sketch, model, or plan

5

: the arrangement of elements that make up a structure or a work of art

6

: a decorative pattern

Medical Definition

design

noun

de·​sign di-ˈzīn 

: a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something (especially a scientific experiment)

also : the process of preparing this

design transitive verb