investiture

American  

[in-ves-ti-cher, -choor] / ɪnˈvɛs tɪ tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər /

noun

1. the act or process of investing.

2. the formal bestowal, confirmation, or presentation of rank, office, or a possessory or prescriptive right, usually involving the giving of insignia or an official title.

3. the state of being invested, as with a garment, quality, or office.

4. something that covers or adorns.

5. Archaic. something that invests.

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investiture British  

/ ɪnˈvɛstɪtʃə /

noun

1. the act of presenting with a title or with the robes and insignia of an office or rank

2. (in feudal society) the formal bestowal of the possessory right to a fief or other benefice

3. a less common word for investment

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Other Word Forms

• investitive adjective

Etymology

Origin of investiture

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin investītūra, equivalent to investīt(us) (past participle of investīre “to install”; invest ) + -ūra -ure

Explanation

Investiture is what happens when a government official, a judge, or a head of state is formally put into office or promoted to a higher rank. The investiture of a king or queen involves an elaborate, lengthy ceremony. The noun investiture is good for describing the process of naming a judge or a church bishop, for example, to office. Investitures tend to include ritual ceremony and the symbolic transfer of a position from one person to the next. In the U.S., Supreme Court justices are invested with the position — which literally means "clothed in the official robes of office." Both words stem from the Latin investire, "clothe in" or "cover."

Example Sentences

He had attended the investiture ceremony of his first Supreme Court justice nominee, Neil Gorsuch, in 2017, months into Trump's first term.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

"They must have thought me very eccentric in the hospital, because I sat there quoting Shakespeare monologues," he said after his investiture ceremony.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

He also said he was pleased there had been no investiture ceremony to mark Prince William becoming Prince of Wales in 2022, saying it could have been "divisive".

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

The MSP said she was looking forward to her investiture and hoped to take her sister and husband along because they had "sacrificed a lot over the years for my activism".

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2025

The investiture and subsequent celebrations went on for almost a month, after which the young eighty-second Lord of Stormhold got on with the business of ruling.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman