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

Other Words from appoint Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about appoint

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Synonyms for appoint

Synonyms

designate, fix, name, set

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

Rosenstein had been heavily involved in the investigation since appointing Mueller as special counsel in May 2017. — Michael Balsamo, The Seattle Times, "Mueller’s obstruction punt left question in Barr’s hands," 26 Mar. 2019 Facing pressure from activist investors, Bunge late last year named four new directors to its board, and in January appointed Mr. Heckman, a longtime grain industry executive, as acting CEO. — Jacob Bunge, WSJ, "Bunge May Sell Assets to Improve Profits," 21 Feb. 2019 Microsoft’s stock has also been performing well in recent years, helped by a boost in confidence from the company appointing Satya Nadella as CEO in February 2014. — Tom Warren, The Verge, "Microsoft briefly overtakes Apple to become the world’s most valuable company," 26 Nov. 2018 Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel of the investigation that same month. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "Rod Rosenstein's Justice Department career highlights dating back to 1990," 24 Sep. 2018 Pai, appointed as chairman of the FCC in early 2017, has long been critical of the Lifeline program. — Ryan Barwick, Ars Technica, "Millions could lose cheap phone service under FCC’s overhaul of Lifeline," 4 Sep. 2018 Rosenstein appointed Mueller in May 2017 after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. — NBC News, "Would Kavanaugh protect Trump from Mueller investigation?," 11 July 2018 Rosenstein appointed Mueller in May 2017 after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. — chicagotribune.com, "Kavanaugh’s view that a president should not be distracted by lawsuits, investigations could be flashpoint," 10 July 2018 May appointed staunchly pro-Brexit lawmaker Dominic Raab as the country’s new Brexit secretary. — Washington Post, "Boris Johnson quits UK government in mounting Brexit crisis," 9 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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Last Updated

12 Apr 2019

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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

Other Words from appoint

appointive \ ə-ˈpȯin-tiv

\ adjective

appointment noun

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