designation

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The act of designating; a marking or pointing out.
• noun Nomination or appointment.
• noun A distinguishing name or title.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun The act of pointing or marking out; a distinguishing from others; indication: as, the designation of an estate by boundaries.
• noun Nomination; appointment: as, a claim to a throne grounded on the designation of a predecessor.
• noun A selecting and appointing; assignment: as, the designation of an officer to a particular command.
• noun The application of a word to indicate or name a particular thing or things; denotation.
• noun Description; character; disposition.
• noun That which designates; a distinctive appellation; specifically, an addition to a name, as of title, profession, trade, or occupation, to distinguish the person from others.
• noun In Scots law, the setting apart of manses and glebes for the clergy from the church lands of the parish by the presbytery of the bounds.
• noun 8. In oysterculture:

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun The act of designating; a pointing out or showing; indication.
• noun Selection and appointment for a purpose; allotment; direction.
• noun That which designates; a distinguishing mark or name; distinctive title; appellation.
• noun Use or application; import; intention; signification, as of a word or phrase.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun The act of designating; a pointing out or showing; indication.
• noun Selection and appointment for a purpose; allotment; direction.
• noun That which designates; a distinguishing mark or name; distinctive title; appellation.
• noun Use or application; import; intention; signification, as of a word or phrase.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun the act of designating or identifying something
• noun identifying word or words by which someone or something is called and classified or distinguished from others
• noun the act of putting a person into a non-elective position