watermark

1 of 2

noun

wa·​ter·​mark ˈwȯ-tər-ˌmärk How to pronounce watermark (audio)
ˈwä-
1
: a mark indicating the height to which water has risen
2
: a marking in paper resulting from differences in thickness usually produced by pressure of a projecting design in the mold or on a processing roll and visible when the paper is held up to the light
also : the design of or the metal pattern producing the marking

watermark

2 of 2

verb

watermarked; watermarking; watermarks

transitive verb

1
: to mark (paper) with a watermark
2
: to impress (a given design) as a watermark

Examples of watermark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Some organizations are also experimenting with cryptographic watermarks and labeling for media content. Ihar Kliashchou, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 To address concerns that viewers might be confused about what’s AI-generated and what isn’t, YouTube uses Google DeepMind’s SynthID watermarks and content labels to indicate that applicable videos were generated with AI. Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
There could be new hope on the horizon, however, in the form of an authentication system that watermarks videos using fluctuations in the on-location lighting. New Atlas, 11 Aug. 2025 Organizations looking to watermark AI generated images may need to rethink their approach. IEEE Spectrum, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for watermark

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of watermark was in 1577

Cite this Entry

“Watermark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/watermark. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

watermark

1 of 2 noun
wa·​ter·​mark ˈwȯt-ər-ˌmärk How to pronounce watermark (audio)
ˈwät-
1
: a mark that shows the height to which water has risen
2
: a mark (as the maker's name or trademark) made in paper during manufacture and visible when the paper is held up to the light

watermark

2 of 2 verb
: to mark with a watermark

More from Merriam-Webster on watermark

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