appoint

verb

ap·​point ə-ˈpȯint 

appointed; appointing; appoints

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

… appointed the rooms with a curated selection of art and furniture …

—Chron.com

a beautifully appointed room

intransitive verb

: to exercise a power of appointment

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

Benedict left the papacy nine years before his death amid a 2013 resignation, with Francis appointed that same year. —Jay Stahl, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025

Sense' Lottery Chief Resigns After 'Biggest Theft' in the History of Texas Houston YMCA Cutting Staff After Trump Funding Blow Governor Abbott will be responsible for appointing members of TREO which will also have up to 18 full-time employees. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025

In the case filed with the Singapore High Court, the elder Kwek accused Sherman of instigating a boardroom coup by appointing two new board members without proper vetting by the nomination committee. —Jonathan Burgos, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Pope Francis appointed most of the cardinals who will elect his successor Of 252 cardinals worldwide, 135 are under the age of 80 and therefore eligible to vote for the next pope. —Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French appointer, from a- (from Latin ad-) + point point

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1c

Rhymes for appoint

• adjoint
• anoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint
• midpoint
• nonpoint
• pinpoint
• standpoint
• viewpoint

Kids Definition

appoint

verb

ap·​point ə-ˈpȯint 

1

: to decide on usually from a position of authority

the teacher appointed a time for our meeting

2

: to choose for some job or offices

I was appointed to wash the dishes

the school board appointed three new teachers

the president appoints a cabinet

Legal Definition

appoint

transitive verb

ap·​point ə-ˈpȯint 

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

appointive

ə-ˈpȯin-tiv 

adjective

appointment noun