appointment

IPA/əˈpɔɪntmənt/
KK[əpˈɔɪntmənt]IPA/əˈpɔɪntmənt/

appointment — noun

  • appointmentsingular
  • appointmentsplural

1. a fixed time you have agreed to see someone, such as a doctor, dentist, hairdres

1.nounA2
Definition

a fixed time you have agreed to see someone, such as a doctor, dentist, hairdresser, or business contact, usually for a short visit.

Example

Wren booked an appointment with the dentist for next Tuesday morning.

appointment with + person; book an appointment

Sorry, I cannot meet you at three because I have an appointment.

have an appointment

Common collocations
  • make an appointment
  • book an appointment
  • cancel an appointment
  • miss an appointment
  • doctor's appointment
  • dental appointment
Synonyms
  • meeting

    more general; can be casual or unscheduled, while an appointment is fixed in advance

  • booking

    often used for restaurants, hotels, or tickets rather than person-to-person visits

Grammar Patterns

appointment with + person

appointment + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person who books the slot, and the place is often a clinic, salon, or office. Use 'with' before the person you are meeting and 'at' before the place or time.

Common Mistakes

I have appointment tomorrow.
I have an appointment tomorrow.
countable noun, needs an article.
I made an appointment to the dentist.
I made an appointment with the dentist.
use 'with' before the person, not 'to'.

2. the phrase 'by appointment' tells customers that they must arrange a time in adv

2.nounB1
Definition

the phrase 'by appointment' tells customers that they must arrange a time in advance instead of just walking in.

Example

The small art gallery in Tainan welcomes visitors by appointment only.

fixed phrase: by appointment only

Dr. Patel sees new patients by appointment, never as walk-ins.

by appointment vs. walk-ins

Common collocations
  • by appointment only
  • viewing by appointment
  • available by appointment
Synonyms
  • by reservation

    more common for restaurants and tables; 'by appointment' fits services and professional visits

Antonyms
  • walk-in

    describes service without a prior booking

Grammar Patterns

by appointment (only)

Usage Note

Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'by appointment' or 'by appointment only', usually on signs, business cards, or websites. Distinguish from sense 1: this phrase is adverbial and describes how a service is offered, not a single booked meeting.

Common Mistakes

The clinic opens at appointment.
The clinic opens by appointment.
the fixed preposition is 'by'.

3. the act of formally placing someone into an important post — such as a judge, am

3.nounC1
Definition

the act of formally placing someone into an important post — such as a judge, ambassador, or company director — or the senior post itself once it has been filled.

Example

The board announced the appointment of Rashida Lin as the new chief executive.

appointment of + person

Sofia Reyes's appointment as ambassador to Japan surprised many older diplomats.

appointment as + role

Common collocations
  • appointment of
  • appointment as
  • appointment to (a body)
  • make an appointment (to a post)
  • judicial appointment
  • political appointment
Synonyms
  • nomination

    the act of suggesting someone for a role; an appointment is the final, confirmed choice

  • designation

    very formal, often used in legal or governmental texts

  • post

    refers only to the job, not the act of choosing

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

appointment of + person

appointment as + role

appointment to + position

Usage Note

Frequently appears in news, official statements, and contracts. Used both for the action (the appointment of X) and the post itself (held an appointment for ten years). Distinguish from sense 1: here the word is about being chosen for a job, not about a booked time.

Common Mistakes

The president made his appointment to the court last week.
The president made his appointments to the court last week.
when several people are named, use the plural.
She got an appointment as the new manager from her uncle.
She got the job as new manager from her uncle.
'appointment' usually implies a formal, official process, not personal favours.

4. a formal phrase printed on British products which shows that the company has off

4.nounC2
Definition

a formal phrase printed on British products which shows that the company has official permission to supply that item to a king, queen, or other senior royal.

Example

The biscuit tin proudly carries the words 'By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen.'

fixed phrase used as a royal warrant label

Fortnum and Mason has held a royal appointment for tea since the nineteenth century.

hold a royal appointment

Common collocations
  • by appointment to
  • royal appointment
  • hold an appointment (royal)
Synonyms
  • royal warrant

    the technical name for the document that gives the right to print 'by appointment'

Grammar Patterns

by appointment to + royal person

Usage Note

Almost only seen on British packaging, signs, and company stationery, often capitalised as 'By Appointment'. Distinguish from sense 2 ('by appointment' meaning by booking): this sense is specifically about the British royal warrant system.

Common Mistakes

Our café is by appointment to the King because the King ate here once.
Our café is popular with the King because he once ate here.
a royal appointment is granted only after a long, official supply relationship.

5. (usually plural) the furniture, decorations, and fittings of a place such as a s

5.nounC2
Definition

(usually plural) the furniture, decorations, and fittings of a place such as a ship, hotel, or grand house, especially when you want to praise how stylish or expensive they are.

Example

Guests admired the polished wood and brass appointments of the old steamship.

plural form: the appointments of + place

The hotel suite had luxurious appointments, from velvet curtains to marble taps.

luxurious / fine appointments

Common collocations
  • luxurious appointments
  • fine appointments
  • elegant appointments
  • interior appointments
Synonyms
  • furnishings

    more everyday and more common; works for any home

  • fittings

    more practical, often about built-in items like taps and shelves

Grammar Patterns

the appointments of + place

fitted with [adjective] appointments

Usage Note

Almost always plural and almost always followed by an admiring adjective such as 'fine', 'elegant', or 'luxurious'. Distinguish from sense 1 (a booked time) and sense 3 (a formal job): here it refers to physical furnishings, not to people or meetings.

Common Mistakes

My bedroom has a new appointment, a small lamp.
My bedroom has a new piece of furniture, a small lamp.
for ordinary household items, use 'furniture' or 'fittings'; 'appointments' suggests an expensive, complete set.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe times set aside in advance, but they fit different scenes. An appointment is a one-to-one slot to see a professional such as a doctor, dentist, hairdresser, or lawyer; it is short, official, and usually written in a calendar. A meeting is broader: it can be a planned discussion at work, a casual coffee with a friend, or a video call between teams, and it is not always with a paid professional. Booking is the everyday word for restaurants, hotel rooms, gym classes, or train tickets — things you secure in advance but not necessarily a personal visit. Reservation is close to booking but feels slightly more formal, and is the standard word in American English for restaurant tables. Compare: 'Eli has a dental appointment at four,' 'The team has a project meeting on Friday,' and 'I made a reservation for two at the new pasta place.'

appointment ↗meeting ↗booking ↗reservation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • doctor's appointment
  • dental appointment
  • hospital appointment
  • hair appointment
  • business appointment

Adverbs

Phrases

  • make an appointment
  • book an appointment
  • keep an appointment
  • miss an appointment
  • cancel an appointment
  • by appointment only

Prepositions

  • by appointment
  • without an appointment
  • at one's appointment
  • with (a doctor, lawyer, etc.)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Appointment came into English in the late 1300s from Old French 'apointement', a noun built from the verb 'apointer' meaning 'to arrange' or 'to set in order'. That French verb traces back to the phrase 'a point' — literally 'to a point' — with the idea of bringing something to an exact, agreed point in time or in a plan. The 'fixed time to meet someone' meaning grew naturally from this 'arrange to a precise point' image, while the 'official choice of a person for a job' meaning developed in the 1400s as the act of formally pointing someone toward a position.