To designate means to officially choose, name, or mark someone or something for a particular role, use, or purpose. It can also mean to indicate or point something out clearly.
From Latin "designare" meaning "to mark out" or "to point out," formed from "de-" and "signare" (to mark, from "signum" meaning "sign"). It came into English through Latin and French forms in the 17th century.
Try Another Word