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appoint

v.
US //əˈpɔɪnt// UK //ɐpˈɔɪnt// ap·point
  1. 1 to choose for a job (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    to officially choose someone for a job or a position of responsibility.

    to assign a person to a post, office, or role by authority. Transitive, taking a direct object often followed by 'as' or 'to'.

    Example

    The board decided to appoint a new director to lead the project.

    Example

    The prime minister intends to appoint a seasoned diplomat to the vacant embassy post in hopes of stabilizing regional relations.

    Usage

    Often used in the passive voice: 'She was appointed as chairperson.'
  2. 2 to fix a time or place (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    to decide on a specific time or place for something to happen.

    to determine or fix a time or place for an event by authority or agreement.

    Example

    The court will appoint a date for the hearing next week.

    Example

    The committee has yet to appoint a specific venue for the international summit, citing ongoing security concerns.

    Usage

    Commonly used in legal or official administrative contexts.
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  1. 3 to furnish or equip (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary Formal

    to provide a room or building with furniture and equipment.

    to furnish or equip a place completely with necessary fittings. Frequently encountered as the past-participial adjective 'appointed'.

    Example

    The hotel rooms were beautifully appointed with antique furniture.

    Example

    The library was sumptuously appointed with dark oak shelving and leather-bound volumes, reflecting the wealth of its original owner.

    Teacher's tip

    In modern English, this sense is almost exclusively seen in the form 'well-appointed' to describe high-quality rooms or houses.
Origin

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.

Word family

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