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Synonyms

appointive

American  
[uh-poin-tiv] / əˈpɔɪn tɪv /

adjective

  1. pertaining to or filled by appointment.

    an appointive office.

  2. having the ability or authority to appoint.

    appointive powers.


appointive British  
/ əˈpɔɪntɪv /

adjective

  1. relating to or filled by appointment

    an appointive position

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of appointive

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; appoint + -ive


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.

See Examples For:

Take Iowa, which for nearly 40 years required all appointive boards and commissions—from county library boards to licensing bodies—to maintain balance between the sexes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

“Is it really an appointive process if there’s a vote being taken?” said Judge Roderick Young, a Trump appointee.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 1, 2024

As president of the city’s appointive Board of Elections in 1972-73, Dinkins widened voter rolls.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2020

Comey: I think I’m done in governments, certainly in an appointive role, I would never run for office, but an appointed role in government.

From MSNBC ● Jun. 26, 2019

A patron of young Franklin Delano Roosevelt, he held other state appointive offices before getting himself named chairman of the new State Commission on Prison Reform.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

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