# designated

/ˈdɛzɪɡˌneɪtɪd/ (US) · /dˈɛzɪɡnˌeɪtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/designated
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. chosen for a purpose

adjective · CEFR B2

officially chosen for a particular job or purpose.

For teachers: formally assigned or appointed to a specific role, task, or status.

- Please leave your car in the designated parking area for visitors.
- The designated smoking area was moved to the far end of the terrace to ensure that smoke did not drift into the main dining hall.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it describes.

### 2. the sober driver

adjective · CEFR B1 · Informal

the person in a group who stays sober so they can drive the others home safely.

For teachers: referring to the 'designated driver'—a person who abstains from alcohol during a social outing to provide safe transport for others.

- Since I am the designated driver tonight, I will just have a soda.
- The group agreed that whoever was the designated driver for the evening would have their non-alcoholic drinks paid for by the rest of the party.

Teaching tip: While 'designated' is B2, the specific phrase 'designated driver' is very common in social English and often learned earlier.

## Examples

- The city council decided to designate this park as a protected area.
- The manager will designate one person from each team to lead the safety training next month.
- The government plans to designate several coastal regions as marine sanctuaries to prevent further damage from industrial fishing and commercial shipping traffic.

---

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.