appoint

The word “appoint” means to choose someone officially for a job or role. In plain terms, to officially pick someone for a role, or to fix a set time for something.

“Appoint” is pronounced uh-POYNT (/əˈpɔɪnt/ in IPA).

Here is “appoint” used in a sentence: “The board appointed her as the new chief executive.”

Words with a similar meaning to “appoint” include accredit, allot, assign, choose, command and decide.

The opposite of “appoint” — its antonyms — are decline, disallow, dismiss, fire and ignore.

“Appoint” is a verb.

The word “appoint” comes from Late Latin. From Old French apointier, "to arrange, prepare," from Late Latin appunctare, "to fix a point," from Latin ad- + punctum, "a point.".

“Appoint” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Appoint means someone is chosen for a role by a person or body with the authority to do so, such as a manager appointing a new director. Elect means the choice is made through a vote, typically by a wider group of people. Appointed positions and elected positions are often distinguished in politics and organizations for this reason.

Appoint is often used for formal, official, or senior roles, such as appointing a judge or a board member, and can also mean setting a time or place for a meeting. Hire is a more general, everyday word for bringing someone into a paid job at any level.

Yes, appoint can mean to fix or set a time or place for something, as in "they appointed a date for the trial." This sense is less common in everyday speech but still standard in formal or legal English.