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

In July 2023, Beijing appointed a PLA Navy deputy commander as the Rocket Force's new commander and an Air Force officer as its new political commissar. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024

Artist Jeff Satur, who attended Valentino’s first fashion show by creative director Alessandro Michele in Paris in September, has been appointed the house’s brand ambassador — the first hailing from Thailand. —Luisa Zargani, WWD, 19 Dec. 2024

The president-elect appointed his in-law businessman Massad Boulus as his Arab world adviser. —Barak Ravid, Axios, 19 Dec. 2024

Former President Bill Clinton appointed her a year later to serve on the National Women’s Business Council. ForbesWomen: Get the ForbesWomen newsletter, and supercharge your mission with success stories, tips and more. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 18 Dec. 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