↔️ Blank line space ↔️ To move text in 🕳️ To make a dent ✂️ To notch for match 📄 An order form 🤝 To bind by contract

to indent

6.6

To cut matching notches on two papers so they fit together

verb
/ɪnˈdɛnt/

Archaic

: hacer muescas

To prevent fraud, the certificates were carefully indented along one edge.

Examples

The paper was indented for security.
She indents each ticket.
The clerk will indent the two copies of the contract to ensure their authenticity.
They indented the official documents so only the original pair would fit together perfectly.
The artisan carefully indented the wax seal to ensure it matched the original for authentication.
The printer indented the text along the edge of the page to create a precise alignment for clarity.
To verify the document's authenticity, they indented the original mark onto the new copy for comparison.

Synonyms

to notch

vsto indent

15 4.1

To cut a small V-shaped mark in something to help pieces fit together

cuts along an irregular edge so parts match for verification or authentication

Antonyms

join

11 2.9

The place where two things meet and are fixed together

Surface Forms

indent infinitive

indented past

indented past participle

indenting present participle

indents third person singular

Morphology

indent = dent (opaque) = in + dent

Although the idea of making notches is historically related to 'dent', the specific sense of cutting for later matching or authentication is specialized and not derivable by standard learner rules.

Etymology

Indent also comes from the idea of cutting a paper with tooth-like, matching notches so two copies fit together, as in old agreements. So to indent documents was to cut matching notches to prove they belong together.