marked

American  

[mahrkt, mahr-kid] / mɑrkt, ˈmɑr kɪd /

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.

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marked British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of marked

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

Explanation

Marked is an adjective meaning “clear” or “noticeable.” Filling your living room with pictures of pandas will show your marked appreciation for all things panda. The adjective marked can have several senses. In addition to meaning “very noticeable,” it can be used in relation to the noun mark, as in “to show a mark.” You may have also heard the expression a “marked man.” Marked in this sense means to have been chosen for punishment or a bad ending. Trip your opponent in this year’s field day sack race, and you will likely find yourself a marked man at the next contest.

Example Sentences

While both had previously commented publicly following Mamdani’s election, the event marked their first in-person meeting.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

A new charity is being established to honour the life of Queen Elizabeth II, during a week in which the centenary of her birth will be marked.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The apprehension that marked her 20s disappeared, replaced by a silent confidence molded from experience.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

“The victim was just crossing the street and, whether it’s a marked or unmarked crosswalk, he had the right of way,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

"But—" Rowan burst out, "it was there! A drawing of the Mountain. And words and arrows . . . and a track marked in red, leading to the cloud and above it! It was!"

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Related Words

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