marked

[mahrkt, mahr-kid]

adjective

1. strikingly noticeable; conspicuous.

   with marked success.

   Synonyms: prominent, obvious, outstanding, striking

2. watched as an object of suspicion or vengeance.

   a marked man.

3. having a mark or marks.

   beautifully marked birds; to read the marked pages.

4. Linguistics.

   1. (of a phoneme) characterized by the presence of a phonological feature that serves to distinguish it from an otherwise similar phoneme lacking that feature, as (d), which, in contrast to (t), is characterized by the presence of voicing.

   2. characterized by the presence of a marker indicating the grammatical function of a construction, as the plural in English, which, in contrast to the singular, is typically indicated by the presence of the marker -s.

   3. specifying an additional element of meaning, in contrast to a semantically related item, as drake in contrast to duck, where drake specifies “male” while duck does not necessarily specify sex.

   4. occurring less typically than an alternative form, as the word order in Down he fell in contrast to the more usual order of He fell down.

marked

/ ˈmɑːkɪdlɪ, mɑːkt /

adjective

1. obvious, evident, or noticeable

2. singled out, esp for punishment, killing, etc

   a marked man

3. linguistics distinguished by a specific feature, as in phonology. For example, of the two phonemes /t/ and /d/, the /d/ is marked because it exhibits the feature of voice

Other Word Forms

• markedness noun
• markedly adverb
• half-marked adjective
• well-marked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of marked¹

Middle English; Old English gemearcod; mark ¹, -ed ²

Example Sentences

Reform conferences have become slick, big-budget affairs so few seemed surprised when pyrotechnics marked the leader's arrival on stage.

From BBC

The Disney and Universal lawsuit marked the first salvo by major studios to elevate the legal struggle over AI-enabled intellectual property, calling it content theft.

From Los Angeles Times

It marked the latest development in the council's battle with the Home Office and Somani Hotels, which owns The Bell Hotel.

From BBC

Thursday’s session marked a peak of bipartisan frustration over a string of controversial decisions by Kennedy that have thrown his department into disarray.

From Los Angeles Times

The visit represents a peaceful epilogue to an eventful nesting season marked by both sorrow and joy.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• considerable 
• conspicuous 
• decided 
• distinct 
• notable 
• noticeable 
• pronounced 
• remarkable 
• striking