nominate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
nominates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
nominated,
past participle, past
-
nominating
present participle
adjective
verb
-
to propose as a candidate, esp for an elective office
-
to appoint to an office or position
-
to name (someone) to act on one's behalf, esp to conceal one's identity
-
(intr) to stand as a candidate in an election
-
archaic to name, entitle, or designate
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
nominatesimple
-
nominatessimple
-
have nominatedperfect
-
has nominatedperfect
-
am nominatingprogressive
-
are nominatingprogressive
-
is nominatingprogressive
-
have been nominatingperfect progressive
-
has been nominatingperfect progressive
Past
-
nominatedsimple
-
had nominatedperfect
-
was nominatingprogressive
-
were nominatingprogressive
-
had been nominatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nominate
1475–85; < Latin nōminātus (past participle of nōmināre to name, call by name), equivalent to nōmin- (stem of nōmen; see nomen) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
When you suggest a person for a position in the government, or propose a theme for your school's prom, you nominate that person or idea, especially if it's done in an official way. In the United States, political parties hold primary elections and conventions to nominate candidates for president. The word nominate originally meant "to call by name," from the Latin word for "name," nomen , but by 1600 it began to be used to talk about politics.
Vocabulary lists containing nominate
Bud, Not Buddy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
And the Oscar Goes to... Award-worthy Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Iroquois Constitution
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Securities and Exchange Commission, Boeing agreed to take a nearly 20% stake in Archer and is allowed to nominate one person to Archer’s board of directors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
If she is still of sound mind, she can amend her will and nominate someone else.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Before Slaughter, presidents who wanted to reshape a multimember commission generally needed to wait for the commissioners’ terms to expire to nominate replacements who shared their policy preferences.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
The process to elect a new Labour leader starts on Thursday, when the window for MPs to nominate candidates opens.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
I could nominate her and then vote for her.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
On Thursday, he thanked the PSD ministers "for their cooperation over the past 10 months" and announced the interim ministers he nominates to replace them.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
For instance, the bar nominates candidates to the board that adjudicates lawyers’ misconduct, and helps to set the board’s budget.
From Slate ● Apr. 24, 2025
But, that’s not all: Anybody who nominates an official whose eyes seem to need fixing will receive $1,000 off their own Lasik procedure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2024
Likewise, the state’s Conservative Party normally nominates the same candidate as the Republicans.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2024
An antislavery coalition forms the Free Soil party and nominates former president Martin Van Buren as its candidate.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
The party’s voters nominated Graham in June, shortly before his unexpected death in early July.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has nominated acting Bank Indonesia Gov. Destry Damayanti as the sole candidate to lead the central bank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
"The claims seeking to annul the registration of the federal list of candidates for the State Duma of the ninth convocation, nominated by the Yabloko political party, were granted," judge Vyacheslav Kirillov said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
This year’s nominated editors cite no single reason why multicam sitcoms have been disappearing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Without his consent, they also nominated Frederick Douglass for vice president.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Each candidate must have a valid nomination and be authorised by the party's nominating officer.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
However, the upcoming convention will look more like the sort of nominating conventions that dominated party politics prior to the widespread adoption of the primary election nominating process.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Infiniti was overlooked at the Oscars for her lead turn in “One Battle After Another,” but Emmy voters did right by her, nominating her formidable work in the sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Incoming presidents therefore inherit holdover commissioners, nominating new members for Senate consideration as vacancies emerge.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
I take a deep breath and prepare to act surprised when she tells me she’s nominating me for the study abroad program.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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.
