appoint

/əˈpɔɪnt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈpɔɪnt/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈpȯint/ (ame, mw)

appoint — verb

1. to formally select a person to take on a particular job, post, or duty, usually

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to formally select a person to take on a particular job, post, or duty, usually by an authority such as a board, government, or court.

例句

The university board appointed Dr. Rohan as the new dean of medicine.

appoint somebody as something

Linnea was appointed to the safety committee after fifteen years on the factory floor.

passive: be appointed to [body/role]

同義詞
  • name

    less formal; common in news headlines

  • nominate

    propose for a role; the appointment may still need approval

  • designate

    formally mark someone for a future role, often before it begins

反義詞
  • dismiss

    remove someone from a job or post

  • remove

    general term for taking someone out of a position

文法句型

appoint somebody (as) something

appoint somebody to something

appoint somebody to do something

用法筆記

Frequently passive, especially in news and formal writing: 'She was appointed (as) ambassador.' Subject is normally an institution, board, or person with authority — not a friend or family member casually picking someone.

常見錯誤

❌My friends appointed me to plan the trip.
✅My friends asked me to plan the trip.
💡'appoint' needs an official or institutional context, not a casual group decision.
❌She was appointed for the manager position.
✅She was appointed to the manager position.
💡use 'to' with the role or post, not 'for'.

2. to settle in advance the day, hour, or location at which something will take pla

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to settle in advance the day, hour, or location at which something will take place, so that everyone involved knows when or where to be there.

例句

The court will appoint a new hearing date once both lawyers confirm their schedules.

appoint a date / time

Guests began arriving at the appointed hour, just as the sun set behind the hills.

common adjectival use: at the appointed [hour/time]

同義詞
  • set

    much more common in everyday speech

  • fix

    informal British use; settle a time or date firmly

  • schedule

    neutral; place an event on a calendar or timetable

反義詞
  • cancel

    decide that an arranged event will not happen

  • postpone

    move an arranged event to a later time

文法句型

the appointed [time/day/place]

at an appointed hour

用法筆記

Most often appears in passive form or as the past participle 'appointed' modifying a noun ('the appointed time/place/day'). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense fixes a moment or location, never a person.

常見錯誤

❌Let's appoint to meet on Friday.
✅Let's arrange to meet on Friday.
💡'appoint' here needs a direct object (a date, time, or place); for everyday plans, use 'arrange' or 'set'.