appoint
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
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'.
Simple“The board decided to appoint a new director to lead the project.”
In context“The prime minister intends to appoint a seasoned diplomat to the vacant embassy post in hopes of stabilizing regional relations.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice: 'She was appointed as chairperson.'
- 02 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The court will appoint a date for the hearing next week.”
In context“The committee has yet to appoint a specific venue for the international summit, citing ongoing security concerns.”
UsageCommonly used in legal or official administrative contexts.
- 03 C1 Advanced
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'.
Simple“The hotel rooms were beautifully appointed with antique furniture.”
In context“The library was sumptuously appointed with dark oak shelving and leather-bound volumes, reflecting the wealth of its original owner.”
Teacher's tipIn modern English, this sense is almost exclusively seen in the form 'well-appointed' to describe high-quality rooms or houses.
“After the chief executive, José Ángel Sánchez, was said to have led the charge to appoint Xabi Alonso last summer, the 79-year-old club president has made the decision his own this time.”
“If a winning country is found unable to host the contest, the EBU will appoint another host nation.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.