designate
UK[ˈdɛzɪɡneɪt]US[ˈdɛzɪɡˌneɪt]
v
To officially choose someone or something for a particular purpose or duty.
v
To give a particular name, title, or description to something.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
sign
ate
de
completely
sign
mark
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
The word 'designate' originates from the Latin verb designare, which is a compound of the prefix de- (meaning "thoroughly") and the verb signare (meaning "to mark," from signum, "a mark"). The literal sense was "to mark out, to indicate clearly," as if by a distinctive sign. This concrete action evolved into the more abstract administrative and formal meanings of appointing someone to a role or assigning a specific name or status. The journey from the Proto-Indo-European root sekw- (meaning "to point out" or "to say"), through Latin's tangible concept of marking, culminates in the modern English usage focused on official selection and naming.
Analysis
Structure: de (completely) + sign (mark) + ate (verb suffix)
- de: A Latin prefix meaning "completely, thoroughly, down from."
- sign: From Latin signum, meaning "a mark, token, indication."
- ate: A Latin-derived suffix used to form verbs meaning "to act upon, to cause to become."
Examples
The board will designate a new committee chair next week.
The blue lines on the map designate the proposed bus routes.
After the coup, the generals designated him as the interim president.