earmark for

USAGE SUMMARY

"earmark for" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to mean to set aside or designate something for a particular purpose. For example, "The charity earmarked the $50,000 for the building of a new medical clinic."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

McCain had mentioned Clinton's vote for a million-dollar earmark for a museum in Woodstock, New York.

The New Yorker

Trump later leaned on GOP allies to whom he had donated to secure an earmark for his project.

The Washington Post

Mr. McCain proudly said he had sought not a single earmark for his home state of Arizona.

The New York Times

"Nobody else in the world does this work," declared Mr. Doyle, who sponsored a $1.2 million earmark for PPG.

The New York Times

Memorial contributions may be made to Columbia College Fund (please earmark for financial aid), the Alzheimer's Association or Friends for Preservation of Middlesex County Jewish Cemeteries.

Columbia University

She also wanted to repeal the $45 million special tax earmark for Nascar and race track owners included in the 2010 law that extended the Bush tax cuts.

The New York Times - Sports

Mr. Baca last year helped secure a $500,000 budget earmark for Telacu, another local housing group that donates to his foundation.

The New York Times

It is common for federal agencies to take part of the money from each earmark for administrative costs and other expenses.

The New York Times

Whatever you do, don't bring up that goddamn polar-bear exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo that he put in an earmark for.

The New Yorker

The largest single earmark for higher education went to the University of South Alabama, which received $30 million for an engineering and science center.

The New York Times

In 2012, the government froze funding on all discretionary grants for months while they searched for areas to earmark for cuts.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "earmark for", ensure the purpose is clearly defined. Ambiguity can lead to misinterpretations about how resources are intended to be used.

Common error

Avoid assuming "earmark for" implies guaranteed funding. An earmark is a designation, not a guarantee; funding can still be subject to approval or rescission.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "earmark for" functions as a verb phrase followed by a preposition, primarily used to indicate that something (typically money or resources) has been specifically designated or reserved for a particular purpose. Ludwig's examples show its use in political and financial contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

78%

Academia

11%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Science

2%

Wiki

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "earmark for" is a commonly used phrase that means to designate something for a particular purpose. According to Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and frequently found in news and media, academic, and formal business contexts. Related phrases include ""allocate for"" and "designate for". When using the phrase, ensure the intended purpose is clear and that you understand that an earmark does not guarantee funding.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

allocate for

Focuses on distributing resources for a particular purpose, emphasizing a planned division.

designate for

Emphasizes a formal assignment of something for a specific use or recipient.

set aside for

Highlights the act of reserving something, keeping it separate for a defined purpose.

dedicate to

Implies a strong commitment of something to a particular cause or purpose.

assign to

Focuses on allocating a task, duty, or resource to a specific person or purpose.

reserve for

Emphasizes keeping something available for a particular future need or use.

allot to

Suggests distributing a share or portion of something for a specific purpose.

appropriate for

Implies taking something and assigning it for a particular use, often in a formal or official context.

allocate funds to

Specifically refers to distributing financial resources to a project or cause.

specify for

Highlights defining the purpose of something

FAQs

How to use "earmark for" in a sentence?

You can use "earmark for" to indicate that something, usually money or resources, has been designated for a specific purpose. For example, "The city council decided to "allocate for" the construction of a new park."

What can I say instead of "earmark for"?

You can use alternatives like ""allocate for"", "designate for", or "set aside for" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "earmark for" or "earmark to"?

"Earmark for" is the correct phrasing when designating something for a specific purpose. "Earmark to" is not standard usage.

What's the difference between "earmark for" and ""allocate for""?

While both indicate setting something aside, "earmark for" often implies a specific project or recipient, while ""allocate for"" suggests a more general distribution of resources.