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

More recently, Barca was appointed secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in 2019 and resigned from the post last month, winning accolades from Republicans who praised him for his ability to work across the aisle. —Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024

He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2017 by conservative President Michel Temer. —Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024

In November, Hiram Jackson and Dennis Archer Jr. were appointed as special directors to oversee the expansion project on behalf of the city. —Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024

Fulton was first appointed by former Mayor Michael Hancock in 2020 after 22 years working as a member of the department in various roles including deputy chief. —Joe Rubino, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024

With Gordon, defense attorneys Brian Poe and William Biggs were appointed to represent Lawyer. —Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2024

Idaho Deputy Attorneys General Jeff Nye, who leads the office’s criminal law division, and Ingrid Batey were appointed to the Kohberger case. —Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 17 Apr. 2024

Katherine Maher, a former tech executive appointed in January as NPR’s chief executive, has been criticized by conservative activists for social media messages that disparaged former President Donald Trump. —David Bauder, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024

New England Conservatory’s Jazz Studies Department appointed Grammy Award-winning trombonist and composer Kalia Vandever to its faculty beginning in the fall of 2024. —Marc Schneider, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024

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

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