Synonym Chooser

How does the verb appoint contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of appoint are accoutre, equip, furnish, and outfit. While all these words mean "to supply one with what is needed," appoint implies provision of complete and usually elegant or elaborate equipment or furnishings.

a lavishly appointed apartment

When is it sensible to use accoutre instead of appoint?

While the synonyms accoutre and appoint are close in meaning, accoutre suggests the supplying of personal dress or equipment for a special activity.

fully accoutred members of a polar expedition

In what contexts can equip take the place of appoint?

The words equip and appoint can be used in similar contexts, but equip suggests the provision of something making for efficiency in action or use.

a fully equipped kitchen

When can furnish be used instead of appoint?

While in some cases nearly identical to appoint, furnish implies the provision of any or all essentials for performing a function.

a sparsely furnished apartment

Where would outfit be a reasonable alternative to appoint?

The synonyms outfit and appoint are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of appoint Among the 200 laws proposed was one enabling the government to cancel any Supreme Court decision by a simple majority, and another permitting the government to appoint unqualified loyalists to key positions without any review or explanation. Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025 He was appointed attorney general in 2023 and won re-election in 2024. Jason Rosenbaum, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025 In 1970, Nixon appointed a friend and adviser, Arthur Burns, to be his Fed chair. Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025 Neves, 50, was appointed CEO in October 2022. Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for appoint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appoint
Verb
  • Gibson took the second set 6-3 and led 7-6 in the third when the skies opened and play was called for the day.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The airport has set records for number of passengers through the end of 2024.
    Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • They were both nominated in the Artist of the Year category,.
    Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Despite its lengthy public-broadcasting run, Antiques Roadshow has never won an Emmy, but has been nominated 23 times since 2002.
    Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In her autobiography, Gibson wrote about biding her time rather than choosing to agitate.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Some actors might choose to step away from such a thing, or even be frustrated by it or it being brought up in interviews, but Fischer clearly enjoys every last moment of her good fortune from a former era, even now.
    Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Among other resources, an engine has also been assigned to fight the wildfire.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Their goal was to find an IP address — the unique identifier assigned to every cell phone and computer — that could reveal the source.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The ownership team is 85% made up of Black people from neighborhoods designated by the state as particularly hard hit by marijuana criminalization, the younger Richardson said.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The Florida Department of Health designated the south side of the causeway as a bathing beach and, because of that, the agency conducts regular testing of the southeast side.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But what constitutes relationship strength?
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • And October’s jobs numbers, reported just days before the election, constituted the worst month for jobs since the pandemic.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Cox was an unknown when director Brian DePalma selected her to play a fan whom Springsteen invites onstage at the end of his 1984 music video for Dancin’ in the Dark.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • For Ruben Amorim, the setback left a lasting impression, with Altay Bayindir selected in the first three Premier League games.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Forensic analysis of the bets placed, though, was enough to pick holes in the FA’s evidence.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Big Sky, Montana Swift and Kelce have previously gone on romantic retreats to Big Sky – even being linked to the highly exclusive, members-only Yellowstone Club – so the couple could pick the luxurious mountain community as a serene wedding destination.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Appoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appoint. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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