nominate
Americanverb (used with object)
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
-
are nominatingprogressive
-
am 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.
As their planes were taxiing, Trump announced that he would nominate Jay Clayton, a U.S. attorney and former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, to the position permanently.
From Slate • Jun. 13, 2026
Trump has yet to nominate a replacement for Makary, though the options have been narrowed to a shortlist, people familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Under current rules, 80 MPs would have to nominate a specific opponent, which would then trigger a leadership election lasting weeks or months, conducted among the 350,000 or so registered Labour Party members.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
Reform MS Llŷr Powell told BBC Wales that Reform Senedd members would nominate their leader, Dan Thomas, to be first minister.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
A ruling group is a ruling group so long as it can nominate its successors.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
