anointed

[uh-noin-tid]

adjective

1. consecrated or made sacred; dedicated to God, often in a ceremony that includes dabbing or sprinkling with holy oil.

   In the Bible, the anointed High Priest was chosen from among the descendants of Aaron.

   From the highest patriarch to the youngest baptized and anointed infant, communion was received by all at the Orthodox church.

2. chosen by or as if by divine authority; chosen for a sacred, high, or special vocation or purpose.

   Stalin left no anointed successor, nor any framework for the orderly transfer of power.

3. Christianity.,  empowered or made effective for God’s purposes by the special activity of the Holy Spirit.

   This is one of the most anointed websites I’ve ever visited—I was so encouraged by the devotional there.

4. rubbed or sprinkled with oil, ointment, or other oil-based mixture.

   Pausing in the kitchen with the turkey, I heard ripples of anticipation as guests awaited the anointed bird and its accouterments.

5. sprinkled or smeared with any liquid (often used in combination).

   The Pilsner on tap was a lovely light beer that paired nicely with lemon-juice-anointed oysters.

noun

1. Often Anointed the person or people chosen or declared chosen by God.

   David kept Abishai from killing King Saul, because it would be wicked to attack the Lord's anointed.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of anoint.

Other Word Forms

• self-anointed adjective
• unanointed adjective
• well-anointed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of anointed¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; anoint ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective and noun senses; anoint ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Spawning not one but two soundtrack releases, the film had the air of a cultural phenomenon about it and anointed Anderson as a generational talent, earning him his first Academy Award nomination for the screenplay.

From Los Angeles Times

Or, as some believe the Labour rulebook permits, could the cabinet designate an interim deputy leader from among their number who would, in time, be anointed permanently?

From BBC

He is Riley’s personal project, having been anointed the starter without offseason competition from the portal.

From Los Angeles Times

Only after a cataclysmically bad debate performance, which revealed his infirmities for all to see, did Biden grudgingly stand aside in favor of his anointed successor, Vice President Kamala Harris.

From Los Angeles Times

“Francis was someone who took care of the poor, ministered to them, he raised money for them, visited and anointed them,” while Leo “advocated for their rights,” said Keenan.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• angelic 
• celestial 
• eternal 
• heavenly 
• holy 
• mystical 
• religious 
• sacred 
• spiritual 
• supernatural 
• transcendent 
• wonderful