designate

designate — verb

1. to choose someone formally for a particular position, role, or task within an or

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to choose someone formally for a particular position, role, or task within an organization or group, often through an official decision or vote

Example

Inês was designated as the project coordinator by the senior management team.

passive: be designated as + role

The committee designated Gabriel to lead the investigation into the data breach.

active: designate + person + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • designate as coordinator
  • designate to a post
  • designate someone spokesperson
  • specially designate
  • formally designate
  • designate a successor
Synonyms
  • appoint

    equally formal but more general; appoint can apply to any role, while designate often implies a formal selection process

  • name

    less formal; simply means 'choose and say who' without the official ceremony

  • nominate

    means 'suggest someone for a position', not necessarily the final selection

  • assign

    focuses on giving a specific task or duty rather than a formal title

Antonyms
  • dismiss

    to remove someone from a position

  • remove

    to take someone out of a role

Grammar Patterns

designate + noun + as/for + role

designate + noun + to-infinitive

be designated + role (no preposition)

Usage Note

Often used in the passive voice. The role can be introduced by as (designated as team leader), to (designated to the post), or directly without a preposition (designated team leader). The active form is common in formal contexts such as board meetings and committee decisions.

Common Mistakes

The manager designated the report.
The manager designated Linh to write the report.
designate requires a person or group as the object, not a document or task.
She designated the new position.
She designated him as the new team lead.
you must state who is being chosen, not just the role itself.

2. to officially state that a place, thing, or area has a particular type, quality,

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to officially state that a place, thing, or area has a particular type, quality, or specific purpose, usually through a formal decision or legal process

Example

The wetlands were designated a protected area for rare bird species.

passive: designated + direct complement (protected area)

This old theatre has been designated as a historic landmark by the city council.

passive: has been designated as + role

Common collocations
  • designate a protected area
  • designate a historic landmark
  • designate a conservation zone
  • designate a park
  • officially designate
  • designate as a hazard zone
Synonyms
  • classify

    used for putting things into categories or groups, often in scientific or technical contexts

  • label

    informal; can suggest a simpler or more general description

  • mark

    emphasises a visible sign or indicator rather than an official statement

Antonyms
  • declassify

    to officially remove a classification, especially in government contexts

Grammar Patterns

be designated + noun (direct complement)

be designated + as + noun/adjective

be designated + for + purpose

Usage Note

Almost always used in the passive voice. The complement can appear directly (designated a national park) or after as (designated as a national park) — both are correct. The for pattern specifies the intended purpose rather than a category label.

Common Mistakes

The park was designated.
The park was designated a protected area.
the sentence needs a complement to say what the place is classified as.
The government designated the area as dangerous zone.
The government designated the area as a dangerous zone.
as introduces a noun phrase, so an article or determiner is needed.

designate — adjective

Word family

  • designation
    nounC1
  • designated
    adjectiveB2
  • designating
    adjectiveC1
  • designee
    nounC1
  • designator
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Designate, appoint, name, nominate, and assign all involve selecting someone for a role or task, but they differ in formality and specificity. Designate is formal and often official, implying a deliberate choice by an authority with the power to decide — the board designated a new CEO after reviewing several candidates. Appoint is equally formal and very common in workplace and government settings — the president appointed a new judge to the supreme court. Name is much less formal and simply means 'choose and say who' — the team named her captain after the match. Nominate means 'suggest someone for a position,' not necessarily the final selection — five people were nominated but only one was chosen. Assign focuses on giving a person a specific task or duty rather than a title — the teacher assigned each student a different topic for the presentation.

appoint ↗name ↗nominate ↗assign ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • designate a person
  • designate a role
  • designate an area
  • designate a building
  • designate a site

Adverbs

  • officially designate
  • formally designate
  • specially designate
  • originally designate

Phrases

  • designate someone as something
  • designate something as something
  • be designated for a purpose
  • designate someone to do something

Prepositions

  • designate as
  • designate for
  • designate to

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Designate comes from the Latin word designare, meaning 'to mark out' or 'to point out'. It is formed from de- ('out') and signare ('to mark', from signum meaning 'mark' or 'sign'). The word entered English through French in the 1600s and gradually shifted from physically marking something to the more abstract sense of officially selecting or identifying someone or something.