anointed; anointing; anoints

transitive verb

1
: to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance
2
a
: to apply oil to as part of a religious ceremony
The priest anointed the sick.
b
: to choose by or as if by divine election
anoint him as his successor
also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment
Critics have anointed her as an important new literary figure.
anointer noun
anointment noun

Examples of anoint in a Sentence

The magazine anointed her the most popular actress of the year. anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The biblical drama tells the story of David (Michael Iskander), an outcast teenager who is anointed as the new king by the prophet Samuel (Stephen Lang) as the once-mighty King Saul (Ali Suliman) falls victim to his own pride and begins to lose power. Selome Hailu, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025 Hudson stars as Isla Gordon, who's anointed as interim president of the fictional Los Angeles Waves, a Lakers-like basketball team with an illustrious reputation, after her brother Cam (Justin Theroux) goes to rehab. EW.com, 1 Mar. 2025 Of course, American institutions and traditions are far stronger than Russia’s fragile post-Soviet democracy was when Putin took over from Boris Yeltsin, who had already done his share of damage before anointing the former KGB lieutenant colonel to be his successor in 1999. Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2025 As for anointing himself the team’s No. 1 cornerback, Nixon drew better reviews from his GM on his play at outside cornerback than fans would give him after his first season at the position. Matt Schneidman, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anoint

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French enoint, past participle of enoindre, from Latin inunguere, from in- + unguere to smear — more at ointment

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anoint was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Anoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anoint. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

anoint

verb
1
: to rub over with oil or an oily substance
2
: to put oil on as part of a religious ceremony
anointer noun
anointment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on anoint

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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