appointed
Americanadjective
-
by, through, or as a result of an appointment (often in contrast withelected ).
an appointed official.
-
predetermined; arranged; set.
They met at the appointed time in the appointed place.
-
provided with what is necessary; equipped; furnished.
a beautifully appointed office.
Related Words
See furnish.
Other Word Forms
- quasi-appointed adjective
- unappointed adjective
Etymology
Origin of appointed
Explanation
To be appointed is to be given a task or job. If you're appointed as the week's doughnut fetcher at work, it means you've been assigned the job of bringing treats for everyone. You might be appointed for a small duty or for a large promotion, as when the gym teacher at school is unexpectedly appointed principal. Another way to use the adjective appointed is to mean "well furnished." Lovely homes and fancy hotels are often described as "well appointed" or "luxuriously appointed.
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.
“We are active in the market as we speak, and we anticipate that my successor will be appointed in the second half of this year,” Green said.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
President George W. Bush appointed Roberts and Alito to the high court, as well as Kavanaugh to the U.S.
From Slate • Apr. 22, 2026
Gorka, who had worked at Bannon’s right-wing Breitbart outlet, was appointed to the Strategic Initiatives Group, an in-house think tank at the White House.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026
Charette spoke during a moderated talk with the head of the Canadian chamber, Candace Laing, who on Tuesday was appointed by Prime Minister Mark Carney to a panel to advise federal officials on U.S.-Canada relations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
But when the school’s president was later ousted for incompetence, the trustees appointed Garfield to the position.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
![]()
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.