Dictionary

appoint en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əˈpɔɪnt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English apointen, borrowed from Old French apointier (“to prepare, arrange, lean, place”) (French appointer (“to give a salary, refer a cause”)), from Late Latin appunctō (“to bring back to the point, restore, to fix the point in a controversy, or the points in an agreement”); Latin ad + punctum (“a point”). See point.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To set, fix or determine (a time or place for something such as a meeting, or the meeting itself) by authority or agreement.
   • We have to wait until they're ready to receive us, and make sure we turn up at the appointed time. 2014 November 8, Ivan Hewett, “Art on demand makes emperors of us all”, in The Telegraph:
   • His Royal Highness called to pay his respects to her Majesty; but, from the unexpected nature of his visit, her Majesty was not in a state then to receive him; but soon after sent a letter to Prince Leopold, to appoint one o'clock this day for an interview. 1820, The Edinburgh Annual Register:
2. (transitive) To name (someone to a post or role).
   • Neal Kwatra, appointed by Cuomo to be the state Democratic Party's chief campaign strategist, was identified by two key Democratic insiders[...] 2014 November 3, Fredric U. Dicker, “Cuomo appointed 'vote or else' strategist”, in New York Post:
   • Aaron and his shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 4:19:
3. (transitive) To furnish or equip (a place) completely; to provide with all the equipment or furnishings necessary; to fit out.
   • The hotel is beautifully designed and beautifully appointed in a classic, modern style that manages to be both serene and luxurious at the same time. 2009, Donald Olson, Germany for Dummies:
   • It was a handsome old stucco hall, very elegantly appointed, for Winter was a bachelor and prided himself on his style; but the place was beset by collieries. 1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter X, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, [Germany?]: Privately printed, →OCLC, page 151:
   • Their two-room apartment, which is neither fashionably appointed nor in a fashionable neighborhood 1986, Joseph Beam, “Brother to Brother: Words from the Heart”, in Joseph Beam, editor, In The Life: A Black Gay Anthology, page 241:
4. (transitive) To equip (someone) with (something); to assign (someone) authoritatively (some equipment).
   • after mature Deliberation, he appointed them a Ship of seventy Tons, 1747, William Stith, The History of the First Discovery and Settlement of Virginia, page 15:
5. (transitive) To fix the disposition of (property) by designating someone to take use of (it).
   • If the donee of a power appoint the fund to one of the objects of the power, under an understanding that the latter is to lend the fund to tho former, although on good security, the appointment is bad. 1828–29 (case decided), published in 1843, in the Reports of Cases Decided in the High Court of Chancery
6. (obsolete, transitive) To fix with power or firmness by decree or command; to ordain or establish.
   • Thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Samuel 15:15:
   • When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 8:29:
7. (intransitive, obsolete) To resolve; to determine; to ordain.
   • On the following morning Lord Ballindine[,] as he had appointed to do, drove over to Dunmore, to settle with Martin about the money, and, if necessary, to go with him to the attorney's office in Tuam. 1848, Anthony Trollope, The Kellys and the O'Kellys, →ISBN, page 251:
   • He had preached twice on the Lord's day, he preached also on Monday, and had appointed to do the same on Tuesday, but died that morning. 1833, The Miscellaneous Works of the Rev. Matthew Henry:
   • The day being very stormy, we were obliged to keep at home; which I much regretted, as it abridged my opportunity of seeing the Jewish synagogues, as we had appointed to do to-day. 1823 December 13, a record quoted in The Christian Library: A Reprint of Popular Religious Works (Richard Watson, Thomas Taylor, Thomas Raffles, etc; 1836)
   • For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Samuel 17:14:

Forms

Antonyms

revoke · refuse · neglect · terminate · disallow · decline · fire · ignore · unfurnish · reject · dismiss

Deriveds

appointer · appointee · appointive · self-appoint · reappoint · appointable · appointment · unappoint · appointor · foreappoint · well-appointed · preappoint

Hypernyms

select · name · affix · determine · fix · establish · set

Hyponyms

commission · hire

Relateds

point

Synonyms

allot · make · enjoin · settle · command · delegate · furnish · assign · direct · designate · elect · decree · nominate · choose · equip · accredit · ordain · tap · designate · install · name · decide · employ

Translations (76)

cho atokoli (to name to a post) · it nominare (to name to a post) · ru оборудовать (to furnish with everything necessary) · az təyin etmək (to name to a post) · cmn 預約 /预约 (to fix (the time and place of)) · it fissare (to fix (the time and place of)) · ru предоставлять (to equip or assign authoritatively) · bg предписвам (to fix (the time and place of)) · it assegnare (to name to a post) · fr déterminer (to fix with power or firmness) · hi नियुक्त करना (to name to a post) · ga ceap (to name to a post) · sip སྐོས (to name to a post) · nl benoemen (to name to a post) · cmn 委任 (to name to a post) · de festlegen (to fix (the time and place of)) · fi määrätä (to fix with power or firmness) · sq emëroj (to name to a post) · zza eşten ((law) to fix the disposition of) · ang sċrīfan (to name to a post) · la scisco (to fix with power or firmness) · es nombrar a dedo (to equip or assign authoritatively) · fr poser (to fix with power or firmness) · de bestimmen (to fix (the time and place of)) · fr fixer (to fix (the time and place of)) · de ausstatten (to furnish with everything necessary) · ru жаловать (to equip or assign authoritatively) · fr poser (to fix (the time and place of)) · pt fincar (to fix with power or firmness) · fi varustella (to furnish with everything necessary) · de festlegen (to fix with power or firmness) · la scisco (to fix (the time and place of)) · bg оборудвам (to furnish with everything necessary) · fi asettaa (to fix (the time and place of)) · de ernennen (to name to a post) · ba ҡуйыу (to name to a post) · zza tayin kerden (to name to a post) · nl beschikken (to fix (the time and place of)) · eo nomumi (to name to a post) · cmn 約定 /约定 (to fix (the time and place of)) · ru приставлять (to name to a post) · pt prover (to furnish with everything necessary) · he מִנָּה (to equip or assign authoritatively) · it equipaggiare (to furnish with everything necessary) · it approntare (to furnish with everything necessary) · ru назначать (to name to a post) · de ausrüsten (to furnish with everything necessary) · fo útnevna (to name to a post) · cy penodi (to name to a post) · cic atokoli (to name to a post) · it designare (to name to a post) · uk признача́ти (to fix (the time and place of)) · mi kopou (to name to a post) · ru назначать (to fix (the time and place of)) · mi kopou (to fix with power or firmness) · it incaricare (to name to a post) · bg определям (to fix (the time and place of)) · fr fixer (to fix with power or firmness) · hi नियुक्त करना (to fix (the time and place of)) · la lego (to fix with power or firmness) · it costituire (to fix (the time and place of)) · sa दधाति (to name to a post) · de festsetzen (to fix with power or firmness) · cmn 任命 (to name to a post) · ru присваивать звание (to name to a post) · nl bepalen (to fix (the time and place of)) · ru снаряжать (to furnish with everything necessary) · he מִנָּה (to name to a post) · fi nimittää (to name to a post) · pl umówić (to fix (the time and place of)) · bg установявам (to fix with power or firmness) · mi kopou (to fix (the time and place of)) · pt fixar (to fix with power or firmness) · pl umawiać (to fix (the time and place of)) · fi varustaa (to furnish with everything necessary) · nl vaststellen (to fix (the time and place of))