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appointee

American  
[uh-poin-tee, ap-oin-tee] / ə pɔɪnˈti, ˌæp ɔɪnˈti /

noun

  1. a person who is appointed.

  2. a beneficiary under a legal appointment.

appointee British  
/ əpɔɪnˈtiː, ˌæp- /

noun

  1. a person who is appointed

  2. property law a person to whom property is granted under a power of appointment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of appointee

1720–30; appoint + -ee, as translation of French appointé

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Predictably, the district appointee liked the fact-finder’s report.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Jimmy Gurulé, a former federal prosecutor and George W. Bush appointee to the U.S.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

Sir Laurie Magnus said documents released in relation to his appointment indicated "the relevant process for a political appointee was followed".

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

The US Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors, to which Kirk was a presidential appointee, paid tribute to him in its last meeting in December.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

District Judge William W. Schwarzer, a Republican appointee, is not known as a light sentencer.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.