What is the Latin word for denote?

The usual Latin words for “denote” are notō, dēnotō, signō; also dēsignō, indicō, ostendō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“denote” in Latin

notōto mark, make a mark; to write, especially in shorthand; to write remarks or notes dēnotōto mark; to observe; to indicate signōto mark, sign; to seal, stamp; to statue dēsignōto mark; to trace out; to outline, describe indicōto indicate, point out; show, manifest, discover; to declare; to reveal, betray, uncover ostendōto expose to view, exhibit, show; to reveal, expose, make known; to explain, clarify significōto show, express, signify, point out; to portend, prognosticate; to call, name

The English word denote itself goes back to Latin nota, through denotare.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

denote

notare; denotare; signare; designare (to mark; to make know by a mark): indicare (to be a sign of; to intimate; e.g., supercilia maxime indicant fastum, Plin.): ostendere: significare (to convey a meaning; of words; e.g., multa verba aliud nunc ostendunt, aliud ante significabant, ut hostis, Cic.). To “denote,” in this sense, may also be translated by esse; e.g., ut sciatur, quid sit error (what the word “error” denotes): declarare (to make clear to the understanding; hence, to convey a meaning, whether as a word or conventional mark; e.g., quae [littera, Cic.] conversa mulierem declarat): cf., denotare must not be used in the sense of “expressing;” not, hoc vocabulum denotat, etc., for ostendit, significat. These things are better denoted in the Latin language than in the Greek, melius haec notata sunt verbis Latinis quam Graecis: to denote the tones of the voice by musical notes, vocis sonos notis signare et exprimere: to denote by words, verbis describere, declarare, designare.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for denote?: The usual Latin words for “denote” are notō, dēnotō, signō; also dēsignō, indicō, ostendō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.