To indicate means to show, point to, or suggest something; to be a sign of something.
What Does Indicate Mean?
Indicate comes from the Latin indicare, meaning "to point out" or "to make known", from in- (towards) and dicare (to proclaim). It entered English in the early 17th century and quickly became a staple of scientific, academic, and formal writing.
The verb is used in two main ways. First, to physically point to or show something: "She indicated the exit sign." Second, and more commonly in formal English, to be a sign or symptom of something: "Rising prices indicate inflation." In both senses, indicate draws attention to evidence or information.
A common ESL difficulty is knowing when to choose indicate over show or suggest. Indicate sits between the two — more assertive than suggest (which is tentative), but slightly less direct than show (which can imply proof). In academic writing, indicate is the preferred neutral choice when reporting data or research findings.
The synonyms show, signal, point to, and suggest are all close in meaning, but indicate carries a tone of objectivity that makes it especially useful in reports, essays, and scientific contexts.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Usage note |
|---|---|
| The flashing light indicates that the battery is low. | physical sign / everyday context |
| Research indicates that regular exercise improves mood. | academic / reporting findings |
| He indicated his agreement by nodding his head. | gesture / non-verbal communication |
| The map indicates that the nearest station is two miles away. | information on a document |
| Her silence seemed to indicate disapproval. | suggest / imply — formal register |
| Please indicate your preference on the form below. | formal instruction / administrative |
| The doctor said the symptoms could indicate a vitamin deficiency. | medical / diagnostic context |
| Early results indicate a significant improvement in test scores. | data reporting / educational |
Word Forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (base) | indicate | The signs indicate danger. |
| Verb (past simple) | indicated | The report indicated a rise in costs. |
| Verb (present participle) | indicating | The data is indicating a downward trend. |
| Noun | indication | There was no indication of a problem. |
| Noun (device/measure) | indicator | GDP is a key economic indicator. |
| Adjective | indicative | The symptoms were indicative of stress. |
| Adverb | indicatively | The figures are given indicatively. |
Indicate in Academic Writing
One of the most important uses of indicate is in academic English. When you write an essay, research paper, or report, you need to present evidence without overstating what it proves. Indicate is the ideal reporting verb for this, because it signals that data or findings point towards a conclusion without claiming absolute certainty.
Common academic sentence patterns with indicate:
- The findings indicate that... — most common in scientific reports
- Table 2 indicates a significant increase in... — referring to visual data
- As indicated in Section 3,... — cross-referencing within a document
- The results, as indicated above, suggest... — combining indicate with another reporting verb
Mastering academic reporting verbs like indicate, demonstrate, reveal, and suggest is a key step towards writing at B2 level and above. At B1, focus on the two most frequent patterns: indicate + noun phrase and indicate + that-clause.
Indicate in Everyday Speech
Outside of academic contexts, indicate appears frequently in driving (using your indicator / turn signal), in instructions ("please indicate your choice"), and in conversation to describe non-verbal signs: "Her frown indicated frustration."
In spoken English, indicate is more formal than alternatives like show or point out. Native speakers might say "She showed me where the exit was" in casual conversation, but "She indicated the location of the exit" in a more formal or written context. Both are correct — choosing between them is about register.
Common Collocations
- clearly indicate The evidence clearly indicates fraud.
- strongly indicate The findings strongly indicate a link.
- indicate a trend The data indicates a worrying trend.
- indicate a need The survey indicates a need for change.
- indicate support Several members indicated support for the plan.
- indicate a preference Please indicate your preference below.
- indicate willingness She indicated willingness to negotiate.
- indicate a problem The results indicate a serious problem.
Register and Formality
Understanding which register to use indicate in is important for B1 learners moving towards B2. The table below summarises how formal indicate is compared to its synonyms and when each is most appropriate.
| Word | Register | Typical context |
|---|---|---|
| indicate | Formal / Neutral | Academic writing, reports, instructions, formal speech |
| show | Neutral | Everyday speech, informal writing, presentations |
| suggest | Formal / Tentative | Academic writing, careful speech, hypothesis |
| signal | Neutral / Semi-formal | Business, news reporting, analysis |
| point to | Neutral | Discussion, argument, general writing |
| imply | Formal | Inference, literary analysis, careful argument |
As a rule of thumb: if you are writing an essay or report and want to present evidence objectively, use indicate or suggest. If you are speaking casually or writing informally, show is the natural choice.
Usage in Different Tenses
Like most reporting verbs in academic English, indicate is most commonly used in the simple present tense when citing research: "Smith (2024) indicates that..." This is because academic findings are treated as statements that remain true in the present, even if the research was conducted in the past.
In general writing and speech, all tenses are used naturally:
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| Present simple | The graph indicates a steady rise. |
| Past simple | The survey indicated widespread dissatisfaction. |
| Present perfect | Studies have indicated a link between diet and mood. |
| Future | The results will indicate whether the treatment worked. |
| Passive | As indicated in the introduction, the scope is limited. |
The passive form "as indicated" (often followed by by or in) is especially common in formal and academic writing to avoid repeating a subject or to focus on the information rather than who is presenting it.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
The results indicate about a decline in sales.
The results indicate a decline in sales. (No preposition needed after indicate.)
This indicates to that more research is needed.
This indicates that more research is needed. (Use indicate + that-clause without to.)
She indicated me the way to the office.
She showed me the way to the office. / She indicated the way to the office. (Indicate does not take an indirect object — omit the pronoun or rephrase.)
Antonyms
Example Dialogue
Seeing indicate in realistic dialogue helps you understand how it shifts the tone of a conversation towards something more formal or careful:
| Informal version | With “indicate” (formal version) |
|---|---|
| "The numbers show we're losing money." | "The figures indicate a significant financial loss." |
| "His face showed he wasn't happy." | "His expression indicated dissatisfaction." |
| "The sign says turn left." | "The sign indicates you should turn left." |
| "Polls show the public supports this." | "Polling data indicates widespread public support." |
Notice how substituting indicate for simpler verbs raises the register of the sentence. This is a useful writing technique when you want your English to sound more professional or academic.
Synonyms
Indicate vs Similar Verbs: Quick Comparison
ESL learners at B1 often confuse indicate with show, suggest, mean, and imply. Here is a focused comparison to help you choose the right verb:
| Verb | Strength of claim | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| indicate | Medium — evidence points clearly | Reports, academic writing, formal speech |
| show | Strong — direct evidence | Everyday English, visual demonstrations |
| suggest | Weak — tentative, uncertain | Careful academic writing, hypothesis |
| imply | Indirect — unstated meaning | Inference, literary criticism |
| mean | Direct — definition or consequence | Explanations, everyday speech |
| signal | Medium — an advance warning sign | Business, political reporting, analysis |
When in doubt in academic writing, indicate is almost always a safe and appropriate choice. It is objective without being weak, and assertive without overstating the evidence.
Related Words
Indicate: Level-Up Phrases
Once you are comfortable with the basic uses of indicate, try these higher-level fixed phrases that appear frequently in advanced academic and professional English:
| Phrase | Meaning / context |
|---|---|
| as indicated by + noun | Used to cite evidence: "As indicated by the survey results, satisfaction has declined." |
| as previously indicated | Cross-reference to earlier content: "As previously indicated, the sample size was small." |
| indicate no preference | Formal instruction context: "Applicants who indicate no preference will be assigned randomly." |
| fail to indicate | Reporting absent evidence: "The data fails to indicate any clear pattern." |
| strongly indicate | Emphasise the weight of evidence: "The autopsy strongly indicated natural causes." |
| the figures indicate | Standard data-reporting phrase: "The latest figures indicate a 12% increase." |
Vocabulary Building Tips
Learning indicate effectively means learning its full word family, not just the base verb. Flashcard learners often memorise only the verb and forget the noun indication and the adjective indicative. Here is a memory strategy:
- Create one sentence for each form: verb, noun, and adjective.
- Practise the collocations as fixed chunks: "clearly indicate", "indicate a trend", "indicative of".
- Notice indicate in the texts you read — especially in news articles and textbooks — and underline each use.
- Try substituting indicate for show in sentences you write, and judge whether the result sounds too formal or just right.
At B1 level, aim to use indicate correctly in at least three different sentence patterns. By B2, you should be comfortable with the passive form ("as indicated by") and the academic reporting use ("Research indicates that...").
Practise This Word
Use the exercises below to practise indicate in context. Flash Cards help you recognise the word quickly; Complete the Sentence puts it in realistic sentences; Cloze Dropdown tests your grammar knowledge by making you choose the right verb form.