# marked

Pronunciation: US say "MARKT" /mɑɹkt/; UK say "MAHKT" /mɑːkt/

## Adjective

1. Clearly evident and noticeable, standing out enough to draw attention.
   - Simple: Easy to see or notice because it stands out so clearly.
   - _The new policy brought a marked drop in traffic accidents._
   - _There was a marked difference between the two singers' voices._
2. Carrying a mark that can be seen or that serves to identify it.
   - Simple: Showing a visible mark that helps you tell it apart from others.
   - _Workers loaded the marked crates onto the truck first._
   - _Hikers stayed on the marked path to avoid getting lost._
4. Singled out as an object of suspicion, hostility, or revenge.
   - Simple: Picked out as someone others distrust, dislike, or want to hurt or get revenge on.
   - _After testifying against the cartel, he became a marked man._
   - _The rebel leader was a marked man with a price on his head._
5. Bearing official police colors and insignia, rather than disguised as an ordinary vehicle.
   - Simple: Showing the colors and badges of a police car, so it is easy to spot.
   - _The department sent a marked unit to handle the traffic stop._
   - _Marked vehicles patrolled the neighborhood after the break-ins._
6. Bearing a secret mark on the back, used by cheats to identify playing cards.
   - Simple: Secretly marked on the back so a cheater can tell which card it is.
   - _A sharp-eyed player spotted the marked aces in the deck._
   - _They cheated for years with a subtly marked pack._
7. Distinguished by the presence of a particular feature, in contrast to a more basic or default form.
   - Simple: Having an extra feature that makes it stand out from the normal form.
   - _Linguists say the plural is marked because it carries an added ending the singular lacks._
   - _In this language, questions are marked by a special particle at the end._

## Verb

3. Simple past and past participle of mark. — simple past and past participle of mark
   - Simple: Past tense and past participle of mark. Use it for the past, or after has, have, had, is, was or were.
   - _The surveyor marked the boundary with wooden stakes._
   - _The trail was marked with orange paint on the trees._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2, 4–7** — From "mark" (meaning a sign, characteristic, or visible impression) plus the suffix "-ed". A less common two-syllable pronunciation is likely formed by analogy with "markedness".
**Meaning 3** — From the verb senses of "mark" plus the suffix "-ed".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/marked (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).