What does designate mean?
Word: Designate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Designate means to officially choose someone or something for a particular job or purpose, or to mark a place for a use.
Synonyms: name, assign, nominate
How do you spell designate?
Syllables: des - ig - nate
Tricky part: In design the g is silent, but in designate it is sounded, so writers sometimes drop it or slip in an extra vowel.
Watch out for: desegnate, desinate, designete
Memory tip: Signal, signature and designate all let you hear the g that stays silent in sign and design.
Designate in a sentence
Example 1: The council will designate the old playground as a car-free zone.
Example 2: Our class teacher designated Arjun as the monitor for this term.
Example 3: Two rooms on the ground floor are designated for the exam.
Fun Fact
After a noun, designate means chosen but not yet in office: an ambassador-designate has been picked for the post but has not yet taken charge.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the suffix that completes the word:
design
a) eat
b) ite
c) ate
d) ait
Show answer
c) ate. The verb ending here is ate, as in activate and motivate.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
designate
a) appoint
b) approve
c) announce
d) dismiss
Show answer
a) appoint. To appoint someone is to pick them for a role, which is what designate means.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The principal will dezignate two senior students to guide visitors around the science fair.
a) senior
b) principal
c) visitors
d) dezignate
Show answer
d) dezignate. We hear a z, but the letter is s, just as in design.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The park has a designated picnic area. This means picnics are ____.
a) banned in that area only
b) allowed anywhere in the park
c) allowed only after midnight
d) allowed only in that marked area
Show answer
d) allowed only in that marked area
2. Which sentence uses designate correctly?
a) She designated the cake into eight equal slices.
b) The coach designated Ines to take the penalties.
c) He designated his anger by slamming the door.
d) The guide designated the fort's history to us.
Show answer
b) The coach designated Ines to take the penalties.
