earmark

noun
UK: /ˈɪərmɑːrk/
US: /ˈɪrmɑːrk/

  1. A distinguishing feature or characteristic.

    1. His kindness is an earmark of his personality.
    2. The unique architecture is an earmark of the city's rich history, easy to see.

  2. A mark of identification on an animal, especially livestock.

    1. The farmer used a special earmark for his sheep.
    2. Each rancher had a distinctive earmark to identify their cattle easily.

  3. A Congressional directive that funds should be spent on very specific projects.

    1. The bill included an earmark for a local park.
    2. Critics argued that the earmark was a waste of taxpayer money, and it caused scandal.

Synonyms

allocate characteristic designate feature mark
earmark transitive-verb

  1. To designate or set aside something (usually funds) for a specific purpose.

    1. They earmark funds for education.
    2. The city council decided to earmark a portion of the budget for road repairs this year.

  2. To mark an animal's ear for identification.

    1. He will earmark his sheep tomorrow.
    2. The rancher will earmark the calves before releasing them to the open range.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "earmark" in English means: A distinguishing feature or characteristic., A mark of identification on an animal, especially livestock., A Congressional directive that funds should be spent on very specific projects..

The phonetic transcription of "earmark" is /ˈɪərmɑːrk/ in British English and /ˈɪrmɑːrk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "earmark": allocate, characteristic, designate, feature, mark.

Example usage of "earmark": "His kindness is an earmark of his personality.". More examples on the page.