appoint

American  

[uh-point] / əˈpɔɪnt /

verb (used with object)

1. 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.

   Synonyms:

   select, choose

   Antonyms:

   discharge, dismiss

2. to determine by authority or agreement; fix; set.

   to appoint a time for the meeting.

   Synonyms:

   establish, prescribe

3. Law. to designate (a person) to take the benefit of an estate created by a deed or will.

4. to provide with what is necessary; equip; furnish.

   They appointed the house with all the latest devices.

5. Archaic. to order or establish by decree or command; ordain; constitute.

   laws appointed by God.

6. Obsolete. to point at by way of censure.

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verb (used without object)

1. Obsolete. to ordain; resolve; determine.

appoint British  

/ əˈpɔɪnt /

verb

1. (also intr) to assign officially, as for a position, responsibility, etc

   he was appointed manager

2. to establish by agreement or decree; fix

   a time was appointed for the duel

3. to prescribe or ordain

   laws appointed by tribunal

4. property law to nominate (a person), under a power granted in a deed or will, to take an interest in property

5. to equip with necessary or usual features; furnish

   a well-appointed hotel

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Related Words

See furnish.

Other Word Forms

• appointable adjective
• appointer noun
• misappoint verb (used with object)
• reappoint verb (used with object)
• unappointable adjective

Etymology

Origin of appoint

1325–75; Middle English apointen, from Middle French apointer, equivalent to a- a- ⁵ + pointer “to point ”

Example Sentences

Harsh Chugh was named interim CFO, a month after he was appointed global head of practices, corporate development and administration.

From Barron's

Decades after her elementary school field trips, as a newly appointed poet laureate for West Hollywood, she envisioned a way to mirror this childhood experience.

From Los Angeles Times

And he is angry with himself for the gravity of the misjudgement he made in appointing the peer as ambassador to the United States.

From BBC

Starmer said last week that Mandelson had lied to him about the extent of his friendship with Epstein and apologized for appointing him.

From The Wall Street Journal

McSweeney said he did not oversee the vetting but wanted to take "full responsibility" for advising the prime minister to appoint him.

From BBC

Related Words

• assign
• choose
• designate
• elect
• establish
• install
• name
• nominate
• select
• set