designed; designing; designs
1
2
a
: to conceive and plan out in the mind
he designed the perfect crime
b
: to have as a purpose : intend
she designed to excel in her studies
c
: to devise for a specific function or end
a book designed primarily as a college textbook
a suitcase designed to hold a laptop computer
3
archaic
: to indicate with a distinctive mark, sign, or name
4
a
: to make a drawing, pattern, or sketch of
… a curious woman whose dresses always looked as if they had been designed in a rage …—
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
b
: to draw the plans for
design a building
designing a new bike
1
: to conceive or execute a plan
2
: to draw, lay out, or prepare a design
was trained to design for homes and offices
1
a
: a particular purpose or intention held in view by an individual or group
He has ambitious designs for his son.
b
: deliberate purposive planning
more by accident than design
2
: a mental project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down
was never part of my design
3
a
: a deliberate undercover project or scheme : plot
a declaration of a design upon his life—John Locke
John Locke
b
designs plural
: aggressive or evil intent
—used with on or against
he has designs on the money
4
: a preliminary sketch or outline showing the main features of something to be executed
the design for the new stadium
5
6
: the arrangement of elements or details in a product or work of art
… his sense of structure, both in the general design of Paradise Lost and Samson, and in his syntax …—T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot7
: a decorative pattern
a floral design
Examples of design in a Sentence
Verb
A team of engineers designed the new engine.
Who designed the book's cover?
He designed the chair to adjust automatically.
They thought they could design the perfect crime.
design a strategy for battle
Noun
There are problems with the design of the airplane's landing gear.
I like the design of the textbook.
I love the sculpture's design.
The machine had a flawed design.
the design and development of new products
Correcting mistakes is part of the design process.
a number of design concepts
Recent Examples on the Web
Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The moose-and-pine-tree fair isle pattern is designed on the same fit as the brand’s crewneck sweater, and the soft cashmere fabric is ribbed at the neck, hem, and cuffs for a pop of texture.
—Staff Author, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Rosanna Philpott, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Scalable design, performance focus YASA’s breakthrough has been supported by the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre and designed with scalability in mind.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for design
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
This black turtleneck sweater is designed in a soft cotton and modal blend and features ribbed trim at the collar, cuffs, and hem.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The moose-and-pine-tree fair isle pattern is designed on the same fit as the brand’s crewneck sweater, and the soft cashmere fabric is ribbed at the neck, hem, and cuffs for a pop of texture.
—Staff Author, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
There’s even a design echo between the nomadic Mongolian ger — the traditional felt tent sometimes referred to as yurts — and the Martian dome prototypes being developed by the MARS-V engineering team.
—Rosanna Philpott, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Scalable design, performance focus YASA’s breakthrough has been supported by the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre and designed with scalability in mind.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for design
Cite this Entry
“Design.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/design. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
design
1 of 2 verb
de·sign
di-ˈzīn 
1
a
: to think up and plan out in the mind
designed the perfect crime
b
: to have as a purpose : intend
designed to become a lawyer
c
: to create for a specific function or end
design a training program for auto mechanics
2
a
: to make a pattern or sketch of
design new fashions
b
: to think up and draw the plans for
design an airplane
design
2 of 2 noun1
: a project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down
2
: deliberate planning : a planned intention
happened by accident rather than by design
3
: a secret project or scheme : plot
—often used in plural with on or against
had designs on the money
has no designs against friendly governments
4
: a preliminary sketch, model, or plan
5
: the arrangement of elements that make up a structure or a work of art
6
: a decorative pattern
Medical Definition
design
noun
de·sign
di-ˈzīn
: a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something (especially a scientific experiment)
also
: the process of preparing this
design
transitive verb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share