nominate

American  

[nom-uh-neyt, nom-uh-nit] / ˈnɒm əˌneɪt, ˈnɒm ə nɪt /

verb (used with object)

• nominates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• nominated,
  past participle,  past
• nominating
  present participle

1. to propose (someone) for appointment or election to an office.

   Synonyms:

   choose, pick

2. to appoint to a duty or office.

3. to propose for an honor, award, or the like.

4. Horse Racing. to register (a horse) as an entry in a race.

5. to name; designate.

6. Obsolete. to specify.

---

adjective

1. having a particular name.

nominate British  

verb

1. to propose as a candidate, esp for an elective office

2. to appoint to an office or position

3. to name (someone) to act on one's behalf, esp to conceal one's identity

4. (intr) to stand as a candidate in an election

5. archaic to name, entitle, or designate

---

adjective

1. rare having a particular name

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nominator
  noun
• renominate
  verb (used with object)
• unnominated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• nominating
  present
• nominated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• nominate
  simple
• nominates
  simple
• have nominated
  perfect
• has nominated
  perfect
• am nominating
  progressive
• are nominating
  progressive
• is nominating
  progressive
• have been nominating
  perfect progressive
• has been nominating
  perfect progressive

Past

• nominated
  simple
• had nominated
  perfect
• was nominating
  progressive
• were nominating
  progressive
• had been nominating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will nominate
  simple
• will have nominated
  perfect
• will be nominating
  progressive
• will have been nominating
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nominate nominates nominated nominating

First, however, they would need to nominate an opposition candidate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

That fealty was enough for Trump to nominate Blanche to the position permanently.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026

If she is still of sound mind, she can amend her will and nominate someone else.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

If there’s any thought to adding an eighth wonder of the world to the current lineup of seven, I’d nominate the 1,100-mile treasure that kisses Oregon on one end and Mexico on the other.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

In the meantime, Joey Sisman kept threatening to nominate himself if no one else did and vote for himself, too.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

President Donald Trump nominates Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor, as the next Federal Reserve chair.

From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 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

Likewise, the state’s Conservative Party normally nominates the same candidate as the Republicans.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2024

The president nominates three candidates for each vacancy on the Supreme Court, and the Senate approves one.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 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

Yang, whom Tang once nominated for his university’s top academic award, began intensive training in programming at age 17, competing in China’s National Olympiad in Informatics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

He has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing, first for “Top Gun” and again for “The Thin Red Line.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

With Love, Meghan was cancelled after two seasons, but it has been nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Lifestyle Series category.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Olsen: And now being nominated for these two performances, which are very different performances —

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

“Rules are rules. Whoever nominated you should’ve filled out the proper waiver if your school year runs long. There’s always next summer—” He finally looks up at me and his eyes go wide.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

The new category came as part of a bevy of added or tweaked awards and nominating rules that will debut at next year’s ceremony on Feb. 7.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Despite nominating former boss Nandy in the 2020 contest to replace him, eventual winner Sir Keir Starmer promoted her into the shadow cabinet as shadow Northern Ireland secretary, before she later became shadow transport secretary.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 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

While governors still appoint justices, they must choose from candidates vetted by an independent nominating commission composed of nonlawyers and lawyers selected from across the state.

From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026

After the Republican nominating convention in June, Guiteau left Boston, where he had been unsuccessfully selling life insurance, and traveled to New York City.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• appoint
• assign
• choose
• decide
• draft
• elect
• elevate
• name
• present
• propose
• recommend
• submit
• suggest
• tap