appoint

verb

ap·point | \ə-ˈpȯint

appointed; appointing; appoints

Definition of appoint

transitive verb

1a : to fix or set officially appoint a trial date

b : to name officially will appoint her director of the program

c archaic : arrange

d law : to determine the disposition of (an estate) to someone by virtue of a power of appointment

2 : to provide with complete and usually appropriate or elegant furnishings or equipment a beautifully appointed room

intransitive verb

: to exercise a power of appointment

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about appoint

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Choose the Right Synonym for appoint

furnish, equip, outfit, appoint, accoutre mean to supply one with what is needed. furnish implies the provision of any or all essentials for performing a function. a sparsely furnished apartment equip suggests the provision of something making for efficiency in action or use. a fully equipped kitchen outfit implies provision of a complete list or set of articles as for a journey, an expedition, or a special occupation. outfitted the family for a ski trip appoint implies provision of complete and usually elegant or elaborate equipment or furnishings. a lavishly appointed apartment accoutre suggests the supplying of personal dress or equipment for a special activity. fully accoutred members of a polar expedition

Examples of appoint in a Sentence

She was appointed professor of chemistry at the university. After his parents died, the boy's uncle was appointed as his guardian. Every year, the group appoints three new members. a committee appointed by Congress the company's newly appointed assistant director

Recent Examples on the Web

Board members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council. — Linda Girardi, Aurora Beacon-News, "Yorkville Library Board member 'lucky to be alive' after chain-reaction crash," 12 July 2018 An even more likely prospect is that Clarence Thomas (who is 70, and reportedly tired of the Court) will take the opportunity to make sure his successor is appointed by a Republican president and retire well before 2020. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Amy Coney Barrett Looks Like a Future Trump SCOTUS Pick," 11 July 2018 Kavanaugh worked as a White House aide and was appointed to the federal bench by then-President George W. Bush. — Alex Pappas, Fox News, "Supreme Court shortlister Kavanaugh's role in ObamaCare's survival fiercely debated by conservatives," 10 July 2018 In a 2008 case, the appeals court upheld the structure of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, whose members were appointed by the Securities and Exchange Commission and could only be removed by the S.E.C. for good cause. — Charlie Savage, New York Times, "Brett Kavanaugh on the Issues: Abortion, Guns, Climate and More," 10 July 2018 In Peoria, elected and appointed officials can't accept gifts valued at more than $50 from anyone who does business with the city, with some exceptions, including meals, token mementos and some instances of entertainment. — Jen Fifield, azcentral, "Glendale lawmakers took game tickets from casino owner, other pricey gifts," 9 July 2018 The housing authority is an independent entity from the city whose board members are appointed by the mayor but receives its funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. — Emily K. Coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "Petition calls for Waukegan mayor to restart talks with South Sheridan Road developer," 3 July 2018 Breezy Vega was appointed as a sales associate for Orlando Regional Realty Inc. Sean Carrigan has joined Dewberry as a senior engineer in the firm’s Orlando office. — Orlando Sentinel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "People on the move 07/03," 2 July 2018 The Criminal Justice Commission is expected Friday to appoint the new deputy chief state's attorney for operations following the recent departure of longtime law enforcement fixture Leonard Boyle. — Nicholas Rondinone, courant.com, "Commission Expected To Appoint New Deputy Chief State's Attorney," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'appoint.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near appoint

Phrases Related to appoint

the appointed hour

Statistics for appoint

Last Updated

11 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for appoint

The first known use of appoint was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for appoint

appoint

verb

English Language Learners Definition of appoint

: to choose (someone) to have a particular job : to give (someone) a position or duty

: to decide or establish (something) in an official way

: to decide (the time or place at which something will happen or be done)

See the full definition for appoint in the English Language Learners Dictionary

appoint

verb

ap·point | \ə-ˈpȯint

appointed; appointing

Kids Definition of appoint

1 : to choose for some duty, job, or office The school board appointed three new teachers.

2 : to decide on usually from a position of authority The teacher appointed a time for our meeting.

appoint

transitive verb

ap·point | \ə-ˈpȯint

Legal Definition of appoint

1 : to name officially to a position appointed to the agency's top post appointed conservator of the estate

2 : to determine the distribution of (property) by exercising the authority granted by a power of appointment a general power to appoint the corpus of a trust— W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.

intransitive verb

: to exercise a power of appointment — see also power of appointment