# designate

/ˈdɛzəɡˌneɪt/ (US) · /dˈɛzɪɡnˌeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/designate
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to choose for a role

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to officially choose someone for a specific job or position.

For teachers: to officially appoint or select someone for a specific role or duty.

- The committee will designate a new leader at the meeting tomorrow.
- The board of directors moved to designate a temporary successor while the search for a permanent chief executive continued.

Usage: Often used in the passive voice: 'He was designated as the team leader.'

### 2. to mark for a purpose

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to mark or describe something so people know what it is for.

For teachers: to specify or set something apart for a particular purpose or use.

- This area is designated as a non-smoking zone.
- The city council voted to designate the old warehouse as a protected historical landmark to prevent its demolition.

Usage: Commonly followed by 'as' or 'for'.

### 3. chosen but not yet started

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal · British English

used after a job title to show someone has been chosen but has not started the work yet.

For teachers: denoting a person who has been appointed to a post but has not yet taken office.

- The director designate will take over the department next month.
- As the bishop designate, he spent the weeks before his consecration meeting with local community leaders.

Usage: This is a postpositive adjective, meaning it always follows the noun it describes.

Teaching tip: This usage is highly formal and most common in British English institutional contexts, such as 'Prime Minister designate'.

## Examples

- The city will designate this building as a historic landmark.
- The manager needs to designate a team leader to handle the project while she is away on vacation.
- The government plans to designate the coastal region as a protected marine sanctuary to prevent further industrial development and preserve local biodiversity.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.