anointed; anointing; anoints

transitive verb

1
: to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance
2
a
: to apply oil to as part of a religious ceremony
The priest anointed the sick.
b
: to choose by or as if by divine election
anoint him as his successor
also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment
Critics have anointed her as an important new literary figure.
anointer noun
anointment noun

Examples of anoint in a Sentence

The magazine anointed her the most popular actress of the year. anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Not because Harris was anointed the next emperor with no clothes. Ted Trimpa, The Denver Post, 12 Nov. 2024 The nation’s most influential newspaper has essentially anointed Newsom as the leader of resistance to Trump, which is not a bad start on a 2028 campaign for the presidency, especially now that Vice President Kamala Harris is out of the way — if, indeed, that’s Newsom’s unstated ambition. Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024 Maggie Rogers, 30, has come a long way since Pharrell visited her NYU Master Class in 2016 and anointed her for stardom. Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024 But Obama canceled Constellation in 2010, and in 2017 Trump anointed the Artemis program, with the goal of finally sending people back to the moon and paving the way for exploring Mars. Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for anoint 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French enoint, past participle of enoindre, from Latin inunguere, from in- + unguere to smear — more at ointment

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anoint was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near anoint

Cite this Entry

“Anoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anoint. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

anoint

verb
1
: to rub over with oil or an oily substance
2
: to put oil on as part of a religious ceremony
anointer noun
anointment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on anoint

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!