denote

verb

de·​note di-ˈnōt 

dē-

denoted; denoting; denotes

transitive verb

1

: to serve as an indication of : betoken

the swollen bellies that denote starvation

2

: to serve as an arbitrary mark for

red flares denoting danger

3

: to make known : announce

his crestfallen look denoted his distress

4

a

: to serve as a linguistic expression of the notion of : mean

in the southern U.S., the word "toboggan" denotes a stocking cap

b

: to stand for : designate

the symbol / denotes "or," "and or," or "per"

An epiphany is, literally, a showing. In Christian terminology it denotes the showing of the infant Jesus to the three Magi.

—David Lodge

denotement

di-ˈnōt-mənt 

dē-

noun

Synonyms

• express
• import
• intend
• mean
• signify
• spell

Examples of denote in a Sentence

The word “derby” can denote a horse race or a kind of hat.

Her death denoted the end of an era.

Recent Examples on the Web

Each of the four categories is color-coded to denote its difficulty, with yellow representing the easiest, followed by green, blue and purple. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024

For example, in women, back pain, nausea, or lightheadedness can denote a heart attack or angina, rather than chest discomfort, the typical symptom in men—though this can occur in women too. —Anna Byrne, WIRED, 22 Oct. 2024

The Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) has cleared short-term resistance from the daily cloud model, denoted by the shaded area on the accompanying chart. —Katie Stockton, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2024

That said, there's not enough evidence to denote whether taking ashwagandha long term over many months is safe. —Mellanie Perez, Health, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French denoter, from Latin denotare, from de- + notare to note

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

denote

verb

de·​note di-ˈnōt 

1

: to mark out plainly : point out : indicate

the hands of a clock denote the time

2

: to make known : show

smiled to denote pleasure

3

: to have the meaning of : mean, name

the word "derby" can denote a horse race or a kind of hat