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
The scope reaches third-party products built on Claude's API, as the watermark rides inside the output rather than any single interface. — New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2026 This subtle watermark, undetectable to human readers, alters word patterns and persists through minor edits, with a detection API forthcoming. — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
Anthropic, the company behind Claude, has signed the bloc's Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content, one of around 190 signatories, and now plans to watermark Claude's output across its ecosystem. — New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, OpenAI has reportedly had the capacity to watermark ChatGPT text for years, but has not done so — reporting from the Wall Street Journal attributed that to concerns including false positives and competitive risk. — Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for watermark

See All Rhymes for watermark

Browse Nearby Words

water marigold
watermark
watermark detector
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Watermark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/watermark. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about watermark

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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