Etymologically
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nominee

Etymology and origin of the English word nominee

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1664
Ultimate origin
English (nominate)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ˌnɒm.ɪˈniː/, US /ˌnɑː.məˈniː/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from nominate and -ee.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A person named or designated for something: 1664 in the OED, the 1660s in Etymonline.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

A person named as a candidate for office is from 1688, the 1680s in Etymonline.[5][2] The person named as recipient of an annuity is from 1697,[5] and one in whose name a stock is registered, though not the owner, from 1869.[5] Nomineeism, the system of nominating people to posts, is from 1831.[5]

Timeline

  • 1664 – a person designated.[5]
  • 1688 – a candidate for office.[5]
  • 1697 – the recipient of an annuity.[5]
  • 1869 – a nominee shareholder.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person who has been nominated for an office, post or award.
  2. A person or firm in whose name shares are held on behalf of someone else.

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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Nominee.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/nominee. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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