tr.v., -point·ed, -point·ing, -points.

1. To select or designate to fill an office or a position: appointed her the chief operating officer of the company.
2. To fix or set by authority or by mutual agreement: will appoint a date for the examination.
3. To furnish; equip: a house that is comfortably appointed.
4. Law. To direct the disposition of (property) to a person or persons in exercise of a power granted for this purpose by a preceding deed.

[Middle English appointen, from Old French apointer, apointier, to arrange, from a point, to the point : a, to (from Latin ad; see ad–) + point, point; see point.]

SYNONYMS  appoint, designate, name, nominate, tap. These verbs mean to select for an office or position: was appointed chairperson of the committee; expects to be designated leader of the opposition; a new police commissioner named by the mayor; to be nominated as her party's candidate; was tapped for fraternity membership. See also synonyms at furnish.

verb

1. To select for an office or position: designate, make, name, nominate, tap. See choice.
2. To supply what is needed for some activity or purpose: accouter, equip, fit, fit out (or up), furnish, gear, outfit, rig, turn out. See give/take/reciprocity.

v

Definition: assign responsibility; decide
Antonyms: dismiss, fire, refuse, reject

v

Definition: furnish
Antonyms: not give, unfurnish

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This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

To designate, select, or assign authority to a position or an office.

Although sometimes used interchangeably, elect and appoint do not have the same meaning. Election refers to the selection of a public officer by the qualified voters of the community, and appointment refers to the selection of a public officer by one authorized by law to do so.

IN BRIEF: To name or select for a position.

The judge finally appointed the date for the trial.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - udnævne, ansætte

Nederlands (Dutch)
benoemen, voorschrijven, toewijzen/ -delen, vastleggen

Français (French)
v. tr. - nommer, fixer, désigner, prescrire, ordonner que, décider (arch)

Deutsch (German)
v. - ernennen, anstellen, festlegen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - ορίζω, διορίζω, προσδιορίζω, καθορίζω, εντέλλομαι, αναθέτω, ονομάζω, (νομ.) διαθέτω, κληροδοτώ

Italiano (Italian)
nominare, impiegare, prescrivere

Português (Portuguese)
v. - apontar, nomear, fixar, marcar, ordenar, decretar, instalar, autorizar (Jur.)

Русский (Russian)
назначать, утверждать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - nombrar, designar, fijar, determinar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - bestämma, utnämna

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
约定, 指定, 任命

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 約定, 指定, 任命

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 을 임명하다, 약속하다, 귀속을 정하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 任命する, 指名する, 指定する, 決める

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يحدد, يعين, يوظف, يجهز‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮קבע, ייעד, מינה, הרכיב, בחר‬

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