Library / English Dictionary

APPOINT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Furnish

Example:

a beautifully appointed house

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "appoint" is one way to...):

equip; fit; fit out; outfit (provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody with something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Create and charge with a task or function

Example:

nominate a committee

Synonyms:

appoint; constitute; name; nominate

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "appoint" is one way to...):

constitute; establish; found; institute; plant (set up or lay the groundwork for)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "appoint"):

pack (set up a committee or legislative body with one's own supporters so as to influence the outcome)

co-opt (appoint summarily or commandeer)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

appointee (a person who is appointed to a job or position)

appointee (an official who is appointed)

appointive (subject to appointment)

appointive (relating to the act of appointing)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to

Example:

She was charged with supervising the creation of a concordance

Synonyms:

appoint; charge

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "appoint"):

assign; delegate; depute; designate (give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person))

depute; deputise; deputize (appoint as a substitute)

make; name; nominate (charge with a function; charge to be)

authorise; authorize; empower (give or delegate power or authority to)

accredit (provide or send (envoys or embassadors) with official credentials)

create (invest with a new title, office, or rank)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody something

Sentence example:

They appoint him to write the letter

Derivation:

appointee (a person who is appointed to a job or position)

appointee (an official who is appointed)

appointive (subject to appointment)

appointive (relating to the act of appointing)

Credits

 Context examples: 

A person appointed by the company to speak on its behalf and/or to provide defined service and work.

(Company Representative, NCI Thesaurus)

A person who is an assistant or subordinate to another professional, e.g. research associate functioning under the general supervision of the appointed investigator.

(Associate, NCI Thesaurus)

Breakfast had not been long over, when they were joined by Captain and Mrs Harville and Captain Benwick; with whom they had appointed to take their last walk about Lyme.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

She dropped in alongside by him, as though it were her appointed position, and took the pace of the pack.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

No additional agitation should be thrown at this period among those she loved—and the evil should not act on herself by anticipation before the appointed time.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Ad hoc "think tanks" appointed to address key scientific issues.

(Director's Working Group, NCI Thesaurus)

The king was much delighted with my company, and ordered his bliffmarklub, or high-chamberlain, to appoint a lodging in the court for me and my interpreter; with a daily allowance for my table, and a large purse of gold for my common expenses.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

An authorized person who is appointed to audit and officially inspect the warehousing, prescribing, dispensing, distribution, administration and documentation practices related to utilization of investigational agent(s) within a clinical study or/and institution, in order to confirm the strict drug(s) accountability and to ensure patients safety and the clinical site compliance with protocol(s) and federal drug laws and regulations.

(Agent Inspector, NCI Thesaurus)

He had himself been appointed to the Cato, 64, with post rank, whilst a note had come from Lord Nelson at Portsmouth to say that a vacancy was open for me if I should present myself at once.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Evening meditation and morning work somewhat allayed her fears, and having decided that she wouldn't be vain enough to think people were going to propose when she had given them every reason to know what her answer would be, she set forth at the appointed time, hoping Teddy wouldn't do anything to make her hurt his poor feelings.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)