Other forms: designated, designating, designates
To designate is to officially mark out for a particular role or use. Designate an area, designated driver, designate a successor.
The official part matters: designating is done by somebody with the authority, which is why designated appears in so many rules — designated smoking area, designated survivor, designated driver. As an adjective following a title, designate means appointed but not yet in post: the chairman designate. Note designation; and that designate and design are the same Latin word.
1verbdesignateTo officially mark out for a particular role or use.
“The council has designated the old park as a protected wildlife area.”
2adjectiveappointedAppointed but not yet in post.
“The ambassador designate will take up her post in Tokyo next month.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
designate is an official marking out.
Latin designatus is the participle of designare, to mark out — de plus signum, a sign. Design, sign and signal come from the same marking.
Proto-Indo-European
*sekʷ-
Latin
dēsignātus
English, today
designate
Latin dēsignātus, perfect passive participle of designō, see -ate and -ate. a doublet of design.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA