appointed
Americanadjective
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by, through, or as a result of an appointment (often in contrast withelected ).
an appointed official.
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predetermined; arranged; set.
They met at the appointed time in the appointed place.
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provided with what is necessary; equipped; furnished.
a beautifully appointed office.
Synonym Usage
See furnish.
Other Word Forms
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.
The cycle has repeated: an exam goes wrong, students protest, a committee is appointed and reforms are proposed - only for another crisis to expose the same weaknesses.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, led by a board mostly appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, has turned the $1 fee hike into at least 3,200 Flock cameras.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
James Orr, who was appointed Reform’s head of policy earlier this year and is close to Vice President JD Vance, stepped aside pending an investigation into the matter, the party said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Bates was appointed by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2014 and reappointed by Garcetti five years later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Joe's appointed counsel was later suspended from practice in Florida and never reinstated.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
