مَعْلَمٌ
1.
i. q.
مَظِنَّةٌ; مَعْلَمُ الشَّىْءِ signifying مَظِنَّتُهُ; (K, TA;) as meaning The place in which is known the existence of the thing: (Msb in article ظن:) plural مَعَالِمُ; (TA;) which is the opposite of
مَجَاهِلُ, plural of مَجْهَلٌ [q. v.] as applied to a land; meaning in which are signs of the way. (TA in article جهل.) And hence, [A person in whom is known the existence of a quality &c.:] one says, هُوَ مَعْلَمٌ لِلْخَيْرِ [He is one in whom good, or goodness, is known to be]. (TA.)
2.
Also A thing, (K,) or a mark, trace, or track, (S, TA,) by which one guides himself, or is guided, (S, K, TA,) to the road, or way; (S, TA;) as also
عُلَّامَةٌ and
عَلْمٌ: (K: [in several copies of which, in all as far as I know, وَالعَلْمُ is here put in the place of والعَلْمِ; whereby العَلْمُ is made to be synonym with العَالَمُ: but according to SM, it is synonym with المَعْلَمُ, as is shown by what here follows:]) and hence a reading in the Qur'an, 43:61,
وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلْمٌ
لِلسَّاعَةِ, meaning And verily he, i. e. Jesus, by his appearing, and descending to the earth, shall be a sign of the approach of the hour [of resurrection]: it is also said, in a tradition, that on the day of resurrection there shall not be a مَعْلَم for any one: and the plural is مَعَالِمُ. (TA.) And مَعْلَمُ الطِّرِيقِ signifies The indication, or indicator, of the road, or way. (TA.)
3.
[And hence it signifies likewise An indication, or a symptom, of anything; like عَلَامَةٌ.]
4.
See also عَلَمٌ, last quarter.