designated

From the verb designate: (⇒ conjugate)

designated is: ⓘ

v past

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

des•ig•nate /v. ˈdɛzɪgˌneɪt; adj. -nɪt, -ˌneɪt/   v., -nat•ed, -nat•ing, adj. 
v. 

1. [ ~ + obj] to mark or point out;
   specify:
   He designated the points where we would meet.
2. [ ~ + obj + (as +) obj] to give a name or title to:
   The neighborhood was designated (as) a historic landmark area.
3. to nominate or select;
   assign: [ ~ + obj + (as +) obj]:
   She was designated (as) the chairperson.
   [ ~ + obj + to + verb]:
   She designated me to do the work.

adj. 

4. Government [after a noun] named or selected for an office or position, but not yet installed:
   named ambassador-designate until her formal nomination procedure was finished.

des•ig•na•tion /ˌdɛzɪgˈneɪʃən/  n. 

[countable] nicknamed "pretty boy,'' a designation he didn't like but endured.

See -sign-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

des•ig•nate  (v. dez′ig nāt′;adj. dez′ig nit, -nāt′), v., -nat•ed, -nat•ing, adj. 
v.t. 

1. to mark or point out;
   indicate;
   show;
   specify.
2. to denote;
   indicate;
   signify.
3. to name;
   entitle;
   style.
4. to nominate or select for a duty, office, purpose, etc.;
   appoint;
   assign.

adj. 

5. Government named or selected for an office, position, etc., but not yet installed (often used in combination following the noun it modifies):
   ambassador-designate.

• Latin dēsignātus, past participle of dēsignāre. See design, -ate¹
• 1640–50

des′ig•na′tive, des•ig•na•to•ry  (dez′ig nə tôr′ē, -tōr′ē, dez′ig nā′tə rē), adj.  des′ig•na′tor, n. 
des′ig•nee′, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

designate verb / ˈdɛzɪɡˌneɪt/(transitive)

1. to indicate or specify
2. to give a name to; style; entitle
3. to select or name for an office or duty; appoint

adjective / ˈdɛzɪɡnɪt -ˌneɪt/

1. (immediately postpositive) appointed, but not yet in office: a minister designate

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin dēsignātus marked out, defined; see design

ˈdesigˌnator noun