earmark

1 of 2

noun

ear·​mark ˈir-ˌmärk How to pronounce earmark (audio)
1
: a mark of identification on the ear of an animal
2
: a distinguishing mark
all the earmarks of poverty
3
: a provision in Congressional legislation that allocates a specified amount of money for a specific project, program, or organization

earmark

2 of 2

verb

earmarked; earmarking; earmarks

transitive verb

1
a
: to mark (livestock) with an earmark
b
: to mark in a distinguishing manner
2
: to designate (something, such as funds) for a specific use or owner
money earmarked for education

Examples of earmark in a Sentence

Verb The project uses funds that had been earmarked for education. the earnings from my second job have been earmarked for a down payment on a car
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Actually, California has the largest congressional delegation of any state, because earmarks happen in both chambers. Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 23 Jan. 2024 Porter focused her attacks on Schiff for using a congressional tool called earmarks and taking Big Oil PAC money. Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024 Notorious examples of wasteful spending led Congress to nix earmarks in 2011. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2024 Of the millions of dollars the Legislature earmarks each year for efforts to diversify hiring, most is sent to the state’s 73 community college districts, which then distribute it to the 116 community colleges. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2024 The ban would have applied to the earmarks contained in that bill. David Sivak, Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2023 The Senate on Thursday voted down a ban on earmarks as the chamber considers a trio of bills to fund the government next year. David Sivak, Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2023 Asa Hutchinson was congressman at the time, and his office secured an earmark in the federal highway transportation bill for the project, which put $1.5 million on the table. April Wallace, arkansasonline.com, 7 Dec. 2023 According to Congressional Quarterly Roll Call, Britt’s haul was the ninth highest individual collection of earmarks in the Senate. Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 12 Aug. 2023
Verb
In 1958, the parties agreed to a settlement: Germany paid Lilly 120,000 Deutschmarks, or about $250,000 today, according to one court estimate, with a portion of that earmarked for the second Jewish family. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Part of the Boot Drive donations are earmarked for the Red Line of Courage Fund, which provides financial support to members of the fire service who suffer from a burn injury while on duty. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 Hundreds more boxes are earmarked for cookie booth sales. Bill Chappell, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 That leaves 35% for behavioral health services, with about half of that funding earmarked for early intervention programs. Mercury News Editorial, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024 Of the 54 units in the building, six of them are earmarked for low-income residents. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024 This legislative move, earmarking hundreds of billions of dollars for new and existing technologies, heralds a tsunami of opportunities in the market. Dan Mahoney, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Of that amount, 15% is earmarked for behavioral health programs, 5% to address homelessness and 5% for youth programs. Dánica Coto, Quartz, 13 Feb. 2024 It's earmarked to benefit certain programs, like the Arizona State Hospital and corrections. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'earmark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of earmark was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near earmark

Cite this Entry

“Earmark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earmark. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

earmark

1 of 2 noun
ear·​mark ˈi(ə)r-ˌmärk How to pronounce earmark (audio)
1
: a mark of identification on the ear of an animal
2
: a mark or quality by which something can be identified
the earmarks of success

earmark

2 of 2 verb
1
: to mark with or as if with an earmark
2
: to set aside for a special purpose
money earmarked for a vacation

More from Merriam-Webster on earmark

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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