appointment

American  

[uh-point-muhnt] / əˈpɔɪnt mənt /

noun

1. a fixed mutual agreement for a meeting; engagement.

   We made an appointment to meet again.

   Synonyms:

   date, tryst, rendezvous, assignation

2. a meeting set for a specific time or place.

   I'm late for my appointment.

   Synonyms:

   date, tryst, rendezvous, assignation

3. the act of appointing, designating, or placing in office.

   to fill a vacancy by appointment.

4. an office, position, or the like, to which a person is appointed.

   He received his appointment as ambassador to Italy.

5. Usually appointments. equipment, furnishings, or accouterments.

6. appointments, accouterments for a soldier or a horse.

7. Manège. a horse-show class in which the contestant need not be a member of a hunt but must wear regulation hunt livery.

8. Archaic. decree; ordinance.

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appointment British  

/ əˈpɔɪntmənt /

noun

1. an arrangement to meet a person or be at a place at a certain time

2. the act of placing in a job or position

3. the person who receives such a job or position

4. the job or position to which such a person is appointed

5. (usually plural) a fixture or fitting

6. property law nomination to an interest in property under a deed or will

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appointment Idioms  

1. see make an appointment.

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Synonym Usage

Appointment, office, post, station all refer to kinds of duty or employment. Appointment refers to a position to which one is assigned, as by a high government official. Office often suggests a position of trust or authority. Post is usually restricted to a military or other public position, as of a diplomat, although it may also refer to a teaching position. Both post and station may refer to the place where a person is assigned to work.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• proappointment
  adjective
• reappointment
  noun

Etymology

Origin of appointment

1375–1425; late Middle English apoynt ( e ) ment < Middle French ap ( p ) ointement. See appoint, -ment

Explanation

An appointment is a preset arrangement to meet, like a dentist’s appointment, an appointment with your accountant, or an appointment to have your palm read. An appointment is a formal date or plan to meet at the appointed time. Whether you have a doctor’s appointment, a hair appointment, or a 1 o’clock lunch appointment, you need to be there — or you’ll have a broken appointment. It’s easier to remember your appointments if you write them down! With roots in the Old French apointier, meaning to “arrange, settle, or place," appointment can also mean the placing, or appointing of, someone into an unelected position.

Example Sentences

I can walk into a general practicioner’s office during posted hours and be seen without an appointment.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2026

The appointment of a permanent CEO will nevertheless be a near-term focus for investors, alongside the ramp up of the Kalgoorlie plant, says Macquarie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Analysts have had questions about the appointment of O’Neill, given Nike’s ongoing struggles.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

Garrett said he was not aware of any formal complaint made against him but said he asked Riley "if she could change her appointment" as Labour's numbers on the council meant it needed every vote.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

The family’s prominence had led to Joseph’s appointment to the lucrative post as collector of customs.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Related Words

• approval
• certification
• choice
• designation
• election
• nomination
• selection