a Roman officer, who assigned and marked each person his place and rank in public ceremonies, shows, processions, &c. The word is formed from the verb deignare, "to design."

The designator was a kind of marshal, or master of the ceremonies, who regulated the seats, march, order, &c. There were designators at funeral solemnities, and at the games, theatre, and shows, who not only assigned every one his place, but also led him to it; as appears from the prologue to the Poenulus of Plautus. Much of the same nature were the agonathetae of the Greeks.