Synonyms

anointed

American

[uh-noin-tid] / əˈnɔɪn tɪd /

adjective

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.
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.
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.
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.
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

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

the simple past tense and past participle of anoint.

Other Word Forms

self-anointed adjective
unanointed adjective
well-anointed adjective

Etymology

Origin of anointed

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For years, football fans have loved her sass and the excitement she exudes as she shouts out her picks, grabbing the anointed team’s helmet and sometimes tossing the opponent’s.

From Los Angeles Times

He chose to favor biology over meritocracy and anointed Commodus as his heir when the boy was only 5 years old.

From The Wall Street Journal

Maduro was at his side the rest of the way: serving in congress, then as foreign minister and vice president before Chávez, stricken with cancer, anointed him successor in 2013.

From The Wall Street Journal

Still, what makes Bublé the new king of Christmas music, if such a title can be anointed?

From MarketWatch

Putin has since anointed him “special presidential envoy on economic and investment cooperation with foreign countries.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023