anoint
Americanverb (used with object)
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to rub or sprinkle on; apply an unguent, ointment, or oily liquid to.
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to smear with any liquid.
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to consecrate or make sacred in a ceremony that includes the token applying of oil.
He anointed the new high priest.
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to dedicate to the service of God.
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to select for an honor, a particular role or office, etc..
After today’s interview, it looks like he will soon be anointed as head of the new Special Projects division.
The headline read, “Dictionary.com anoints ‘allyship’ Word of the Year for 2021.”
verb
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to smear or rub over with oil or an oily liquid
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to apply oil to as a sign of consecration or sanctification in a sacred rite
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of anoint
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English anoynten, derivative of anoynt, enoynt (past participle), from Old French enoint, from Latin inūnctus “anointed” (past participle of inungere ), equivalent to in- in- 2 + ung- “smear with oil” + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
To anoint means to choose by divine intervention. Or at least it seems like the big guy upstairs had something to do with it. Saints and religious leaders are said to be anointed, but so is that new unstoppable quarterback who saved the team midseason. Anoint comes to us from the ancient Latin word unguere, which means "to smear." Which explains the other sense of this word, which is to apply with oil or another smearable substance, such as during a religious ceremony.
Vocabulary lists containing anoint
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Mythology
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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.
The third-placed Pheu Thai party of jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra agreed to join him in a coalition, alongside several smaller parties, and parliament will anoint him on Thursday.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
Also helpful would have been more context to explain “It,” as the word has been used since the Jazz Age to anoint certain young women who have mysterious but undeniable charisma.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
Late in Tuesday’s win, Finney-Smith set a powerful screen, finished a nifty dunk and then pulled off a dramatic steal, leading coach JJ Redick to anoint him as one of the team’s spiritual leaders.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025
Others largely passed on the chance to attack Jack, although Crane suggested that McCarthy is the one trying to anoint Jack, asking voters who should choose their representative.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2024
“A stone of no great size which the priests of Delphi anoint every day with oil.”
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
