to make one's mark
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To distinguish oneself. To write one's name (or make one's mark) on the page of history.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to make one's mark” mean?
To distinguish oneself. To write one's name (or make one's mark) on the page of history.
Is “to make one's mark” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.