appoint
Americanverb (used with object)
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to name or assign to a position, an office, or the like; designate.
to appoint a new treasurer; to appoint a judge to the bench.
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to determine by authority or agreement; fix; set.
to appoint a time for the meeting.
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Law. to designate (a person) to take the benefit of an estate created by a deed or will.
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to provide with what is necessary; equip; furnish.
They appointed the house with all the latest devices.
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Archaic. to order or establish by decree or command; ordain; constitute.
laws appointed by God.
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Obsolete. to point at by way of censure.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(also intr) to assign officially, as for a position, responsibility, etc
he was appointed manager
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to establish by agreement or decree; fix
a time was appointed for the duel
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to prescribe or ordain
laws appointed by tribunal
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property law to nominate (a person), under a power granted in a deed or will, to take an interest in property
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to equip with necessary or usual features; furnish
a well-appointed hotel
Synonym Usage
See furnish.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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misappointverb (used with object)
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reappointverb (used with object)
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unappointableadjective
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appointableadjective
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appointernoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have appointedperfect
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has appointedperfect 3rd person singular
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am appointingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been appointingperfect progressive
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are appointingprogressive
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has been appointingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is appointingprogressive 3rd person singular
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appointingparticiple
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appointssingular 3rd person
Past
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had appointedperfect
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was appointingprogressive singular
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were appointingprogressive plural
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had been appointingperfect progressive
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appointedsimple
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appointedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of appoint
1325–75; Middle English apointen, from Middle French apointer, equivalent to a- a- 5 + pointer “to point ”
Explanation
The President can appoint someone as ambassador to another county; that means to give them the job or recommend them for it. It must be nice to be appointed. Usually, people who want a job have to send in applications, do interviews, and jump through lots of hoops. Appointing is different: someone with the power to appoint can usually just give you the job. In some cases, appointing isn't a sure thing and means something closer to "recommending" — but it still beats filling out all those applications. It takes power to appoint people, which is why world leaders are often the ones appointing.
Vocabulary lists containing appoint
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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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.
Announcing its decision to appoint administrators, the company said reduced demand, "escalating" employment costs and soaring energy costs had "squeezed the business financially".
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Both will assume their positions July 1 and BP said a recruitment process is under way to appoint a permanent head of the downstream business.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Benfica are looking to appoint a successor to Jose Mourinho, who has left the club and signed a three-year deal to become Real Madrid's new head coach.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Sonko further stated that "in all democracies, the executive branch cannot appoint a government without consulting the majority".
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
It was a sign of his humility and selflessness that he wanted to appoint me president, but it was not in keeping with the principles of the ANC.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
