appoint

appoint — verb

1. to formally select a person to take on a particular job, post, or duty, usually

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to formally select a person to take on a particular job, post, or duty, usually by an authority such as a board, government, or court.

Example

The university board appointed Dr. Rohan as the new dean of medicine.

appoint somebody as something

Linnea was appointed to the safety committee after fifteen years on the factory floor.

passive: be appointed to [body/role]

Common collocations
  • appoint a successor
  • appoint a committee
  • newly appointed
  • appoint a judge
  • appoint an envoy
Synonyms
  • name

    less formal; common in news headlines

  • nominate

    propose for a role; the appointment may still need approval

  • designate

    formally mark someone for a future role, often before it begins

Antonyms
  • dismiss

    remove someone from a job or post

  • remove

    general term for taking someone out of a position

Grammar Patterns

appoint somebody (as) something

appoint somebody to something

appoint somebody to do something

Usage Note

Frequently passive, especially in news and formal writing: 'She was appointed (as) ambassador.' Subject is normally an institution, board, or person with authority — not a friend or family member casually picking someone.

Common Mistakes

My friends appointed me to plan the trip.
My friends asked me to plan the trip.
'appoint' needs an official or institutional context, not a casual group decision.
She was appointed for the manager position.
She was appointed to the manager position.
use 'to' with the role or post, not 'for'.

2. to settle in advance the day, hour, or location at which something will take pla

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to settle in advance the day, hour, or location at which something will take place, so that everyone involved knows when or where to be there.

Example

The court will appoint a new hearing date once both lawyers confirm their schedules.

appoint a date / time

Guests began arriving at the appointed hour, just as the sun set behind the hills.

common adjectival use: at the appointed [hour/time]

Common collocations
  • the appointed time
  • the appointed day
  • appoint a date
  • at the appointed hour
  • the appointed place
Synonyms
  • set

    much more common in everyday speech

  • fix

    informal British use; settle a time or date firmly

  • schedule

    neutral; place an event on a calendar or timetable

Antonyms
  • cancel

    decide that an arranged event will not happen

  • postpone

    move an arranged event to a later time

Grammar Patterns

the appointed [time/day/place]

at an appointed hour

Usage Note

Most often appears in passive form or as the past participle 'appointed' modifying a noun ('the appointed time/place/day'). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense fixes a moment or location, never a person.

Common Mistakes

Let's appoint to meet on Friday.
Let's arrange to meet on Friday.
'appoint' here needs a direct object (a date, time, or place); for everyday plans, use 'arrange' or 'set'.

Word family

  • appointment
    nounA2
  • appointee
    nounC2
  • appointed
    adjectiveB2
  • reappoint
    verbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe choosing someone for a role, but they differ in formality and process. 'Appoint' is formal and assumes an authority — a board, court, or government — that has the power to install someone directly. 'Name' covers the same ground but sounds lighter and is the headline word: 'Apple names new CEO.' 'Nominate' only proposes a candidate; the person is not yet in the role and may need approval, as with cabinet picks. 'Designate' singles someone out for a role they will take on later — a 'president-designate' has been chosen but has not started. 'Elect' requires a vote by members or the public. So a club may nominate three people, elect one, name the winner publicly, and the chair will then formally appoint her secretary.

appoint ↗name ↗nominate ↗designate ↗elect ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • appoint a committee
  • appoint a successor
  • appoint a judge
  • appoint a date
  • appoint a representative

Adverbs

  • officially appoint
  • newly appointed
  • formally appoint
  • duly appointed
  • recently appointed

Phrases

  • the appointed time
  • at the appointed hour
  • court-appointed lawyer
  • newly appointed director

Prepositions

  • appoint to
  • appoint as
  • appoint by

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Old French 'apointer', meaning 'to arrange or settle', built on the phrase 'a point' — literally 'to a point'. The early sense was 'to bring matters to a single agreed point', which then split into two strands still alive today: settling a precise time or place (sense 2), and settling on a precise person for a job (sense 1). The Old French root traces back to Latin 'punctum', 'a point or dot'.