nominate
Americanverb (used with object)
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nominates,
present (3rd person singular)
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nominated,
past participle, past
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nominating
present participle
adjective
verb
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to propose as a candidate, esp for an elective office
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to appoint to an office or position
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to name (someone) to act on one's behalf, esp to conceal one's identity
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(intr) to stand as a candidate in an election
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archaic to name, entitle, or designate
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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nominatesimple
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nominatessimple
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have nominatedperfect
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has nominatedperfect
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am nominatingprogressive
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are nominatingprogressive
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is nominatingprogressive
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have been nominatingperfect progressive
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has been nominatingperfect progressive
Past
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nominatedsimple
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had nominatedperfect
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was nominatingprogressive
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were nominatingprogressive
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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
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And the Oscar Goes to... Award-worthy Words
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Iroquois Constitution
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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:
The House of Keys will then sit on 13 October to nominate a chief minister and speaker of the House of Keys.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would nominate acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent position.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
The president continues to nominate the comptroller general, who is chosen for a 15-year term from a list of three candidates proposed by a bipartisan commission of congressional leaders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
In theory, the race to nominate his successor could end Tuesday, should one candidate win an outright majority.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
They had to nominate him, but there was complete confusion about it.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Those roles are separate from the Fed Board of Governors’ chair and vice chair positions, which the president nominates and the Senate confirms.
From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 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
A doctor or hospital in Gaza nominates the patients in need of the most urgent medical care to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 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
His own short film, Keys, premiered at the Worcester Film Festival in September and has been nominated for "best local film" at the Birmingham Film Festival.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Another single, their Spanish-language anthem “Ego,” was nominated for rock song at the 2026 Latin Grammys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
She won in all seven categories in which she was nominated, including female artist of the year, artist songwriter of the year, and both single and song of the year, for Choosin' Texas.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Kevin Warsh, whom Trump nominated to lead the Fed earlier this year, tried to stay positive.
From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026
“I propose the name Victoria C. Woodhull to be nominated president of the United States.”
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
"I'm not nominating anyone for sainthood here. What I am telling you is that this is a person that, in the past, has been helpful to the United States government," the official added.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
I have no objection to the Democrats’ nominating an oysterman for a Senate seat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
But in the end she added her name to the wave of Labour MPs nominating Andy Burnham as leader, propelling the former Greater Manchester mayor into Downing Street uncontested.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The new nominating process will see the 16 county parties elect slates of delegates, 601 in total, who will in turn vote to select the new nominee at a July 25 convention in Bangor.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 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
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.
