Design Means to Mark Out
A design is a plan or pattern. The Latin root means to mark out with a sign, which is what a drawing does.
A design is a plan, drawing or intended arrangement. The Latin *designare* means to mark out, from *signum*, a sign. That is the whole activity in one word: a designer marks out on paper what will later be made in metal or stone. The same root gives *signal*, *significant* and *resign*, which once meant to unsign.
- A plan or drawing. *An architectural design.*
- A pattern. *A floral design.*
- Intention. *By design, not accident.*
- To plan. *Designed for children.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | design | A bold design. |
| Plural | designs | Rival designs. |
| Verb | design | Design a bridge. |
| Person | designer | A graphic designer. |
| Related | designate | Designate a successor. |
How it is used in a sentence
- It happened by design.Intentionally.
- He has designs on the job.Ambitions, usually with a hint of scheming.
- Design for manufacture.Planning a product to be made efficiently.
Words from *signum*, a sign
- Design — to mark out
- Signal — a sign made
- Significant — sign-making, meaningful
- Assign — to mark to someone
- Resign — to unsign, to give up a claim
From Latin *designare*, to mark out, from *de* and *signum*, a mark or sign.
What does *by design* mean?
Deliberately, as opposed to by accident. The phrase contrasts intention with chance.
Are design and resign related?
Yes. Both come from *signum*. To resign is literally to unsign, to withdraw one's mark.