investiture
noun
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In its original meaning, an investiture was the clothing of a new officeholder in garments that symbolized power. The Middle Ages saw much debate over the investiture of bishops by kings and emperors. These rulers felt that high religious offices were theirs to give as rewards for someone's loyal service or as bribes for someone's future support; the popes, on the other hand, regarded these investitures as the improper buying and selling of church offices. The investiture struggle caused tension between popes and monarchs and even led to wars.
Examples of investiture in a Sentence
Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
The King hosted an investiture ceremony for Manfred Goldberg, honoring him for his Holocaust education efforts.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
My family came to Washington for my investiture ceremony.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 13 Aug. 2025
The person behind the mask On Jan. 31, Gottlieb showed up at the Bullock Texas State History Museum for her investiture as the Sewell Family Endowed Chair wearing a red party dress and gold shoes.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Investiture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/investiture. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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investiture
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investiture
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