Etymologically
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appointment

Etymology and origin of the English word appointment

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1425
Borrowed from
Old French apointement via Middle English
Ultimate origin
Old French (apointement)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /əˈpɔɪnt.mənt/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English appointement, borrowed from Old French apointement,[2][3] from apointer “to arrange, settle”,[2][3] the source of appoint, and the suffix -ment.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A pointing out, an indication: about 1425 in the OED, an obsolete sense.[4] An agreement, a pact, and the fixing of a date for official business: the early 15th century in Etymonline, before 1440 in the OED.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

Coming to terms with an enemy, capitulation, is from 1494,[4][5] and a direction or decree from about 1440.[4] An arrangement for a meeting is from about 1530.[4] Equipment or furnishings, often appointments, are from 1575.[4][6] In law, the act of deciding who gets a property is from 1601.[4] The act of placing someone in an office, or the office given, is from 1658–9 (the 1650s in Etymonline).[4][2]

Timeline

  • c. 1425 – an indication.[4]
  • a. 1440 – an agreement.[4]
  • 1494 – terms of surrender.[4]
  • c. 1530 – an arrangement to meet.[4]
  • 1575 – equipment.[4]
  • 1658 – placing someone in an office.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. An arrangement to meet someone at a particular time and place, especially for a professional service.
  2. The act of choosing someone for a job or position, or the position itself.
  3. (plural) Furniture, fittings or equipment.

Word family

  • reappointment
  • appointment in Samarra
  • power of appointment
  • appoint
  • point
  • disappointment

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Appointment.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/appointment. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·