To indicate something is to show it, point it out, or make it clear in some way. You can indicate with words, gestures, or signs.
It comes from Latin “indicare,” meaning “to point out” or “to show,” from “in-” (toward) and “dicare” (to declare). Over time it passed into Old French and then into English with the same basic meaning.
When you indicate something, you’re basically doing a verbal finger-point. The root “dic-” is the same one in “dictate” and “dictionary,” all about saying or showing clearly. So “indicate” is like “speaking toward” a specific thing so others notice it.
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