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

The consulting firm Guidepost Solutions has been appointed to serve as the independent monitor following their recommendation by the Justice Department and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. —Steve Weisman, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

Word of the inquiry emerged as Holmes, a former NYPD chief appointed by Mayor Adams in March 2023, was slated to appear Friday in a budget hearing before the City Council. —Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025

While most of the U.S. attorneys appointed by Biden resigned, several remained in office until they, too, were canned by Trump. —Varad Mehta, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025

Jung and Zahra also butted heads in December when each voted for himself to become mayor, a position appointed by and among the councilmembers. —Jonathan Horwitz, Orange County Register, 7 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for appoint

• adjoint
• anoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint
• midpoint
• nonpoint
• pinpoint
• standpoint
• viewpoint

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