investiture
Americannoun
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the act or process of investing.
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the formal bestowal, confirmation, or presentation of rank, office, or a possessory or prescriptive right, usually involving the giving of insignia or an official title.
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the state of being invested, as with a garment, quality, or office.
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something that covers or adorns.
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Archaic. something that invests.
noun
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the act of presenting with a title or with the robes and insignia of an office or rank
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(in feudal society) the formal bestowal of the possessory right to a fief or other benefice
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a less common word for investment
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of investiture
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin investītūra, equivalent to investīt(us) (past participle of investīre “to install”; see invest) + -ūra -ure
Explanation
Investiture is what happens when a government official, a judge, or a head of state is formally put into office or promoted to a higher rank. The investiture of a king or queen involves an elaborate, lengthy ceremony. The noun investiture is good for describing the process of naming a judge or a church bishop, for example, to office. Investitures tend to include ritual ceremony and the symbolic transfer of a position from one person to the next. In the U.S., Supreme Court justices are invested with the position — which literally means "clothed in the official robes of office." Both words stem from the Latin investire, "clothe in" or "cover."
Vocabulary lists containing investiture
Medieval Europe - Middle School
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Medieval Europe - High School
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Chapter 13
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Visits began on Tuesday, with the King arriving at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh for the Ceremony of the Keys and holding an investiture.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
He had attended the investiture ceremony of his first Supreme Court justice nominee, Neil Gorsuch, in 2017, months into Trump's first term.
From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026
Earlier this month, Winkleman was recognised for her services to broadcasting at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, where she was made an MBE by King Charles III.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025
Also at the investiture was former EastEnders star Anita Dobson, best known for playing Queen Vic landlady Angie Watts on the BBC soap, who was made an OBE for services to charitable fundraising and philanthropy.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025
The investiture and subsequent celebrations went on for almost a month, after which the young eighty-second Lord of Stormhold got on with the business of ruling.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
