designata
The terms denotata and designata are technical terms that crop up in analytic philosophy. Ross assumes the reader will be familiar with the technical use of these terms.
Merriam-Webster’s definition of designata:
- Something that is referred to by a word, sign, or linguistic expression whether actually existing or not. [Usually] contrasted with denotatum.
The term designata is less restrictive than denotata, since denotata is a referent of a word, sign or linguistic expression that actually exists, implying that denotata is a subset of designata.
Ross sometimes appears to use denotata & designata interchangeably, but that is probably because denotata is a subset of designata, and so in the cases of referents that are real things, the two words are synonyms. But as far as I have been able to tell so far, when Ross is talking about purely formal objects, he always uses the word designata.
T&W Ch. 1 – Formal objects do not have “overflow” necessities hidden in the order of nature. What is authorized to be said (or thought) is fully verified by the designata and is what turns out to be so, and what turns out is all there is.