An appointee is a person officially named or designated to a position, especially within government or an organization. The term implies formal appointment and authority or responsibility conferred by an appointment process, often for a fixed term. It is commonly used in contexts like public service, boards, and commissions, referring to the person who fills a role by appointment rather than election.
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"The appointee will serve a two-year term on the university's board of trustees."
"After the confirmation vote, the appointee began her duties as deputy ambassador."
"The appointee faced questions about potential conflicts of interest during the hearing."
"Several appointees were announced to fill key positions ahead of the administration’s new policies."
The word appointee originates from the verb appoint, formed in the late Middle English period from Old French appointer, which itself comes from Latin adponere ‘to place near, to appoint’ (ad- ‘to’ + ponere ‘to place’). By the 15th century, appointe(e) referred to someone designated for a role, especially by appointment rather than election. The suffix -ee, from Old French -ee, denotes the recipient or person who is the object of the action, as in employee or attendee. Over time, appointee has become a standard term in political and organizational contexts to specify a person chosen for a post by a higher authority. In modern usage, it is often contrasted with terms like nominee or electee, highlighting that the appointment is formalized rather than arising from an election. The semantic shift emphasizes the status conferred through the appointing authority, rather than the act of applying or winning a vote. The earliest attested uses appear in legal and governmental texts of the 16th–17th centuries, with increasing frequency in 19th–20th century administrative discourse as bureaucratic processes expanded.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "appointee" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "appointee"
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Pronounce it as ə-POYN-tee with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /əˌpɔɪnˈtiː/. Start with a schwa, then a stressed mid-back vowel in the second syllable, ending with a long 'ee' sound. Think of ‘appoint’ plus the suffix ‘-ee’: ah-POYNT-tee, but the first vowel reduces to a weak schwa. Pay attention to the /ɔɪ/ diphthong in the second syllable and the final /iː/ follow-through.
Common mistakes include misplacing stress (putting it on the first or last syllable) and mispronouncing the /ɔɪ/ as a pure /o/ or /ai/. Another mistake is shortening the final -ee to a quick /i/ or dropping the extra syllable in rapid speech. To correct: keep primary stress on the second syllable, render /ɔɪ/ accurately as the mid-back to high-front glide sequence, and stretch the final /iː/ for a clean, long vowel.
In US, UK, and AU, the core /əˌpɔɪnˈtiː/ pattern remains, but vowel qualities shift slightly. US tends toward a more rhotic, slightly denasalized /ə/ and a clearer /ˈpoɪn/ with a robust /ɔɪ/. UK often emphasizes non-rhoticity, with a crisp /əˌpɔɪnˈtiː/ and less rhotic schwa coloring. Australian tends to a flatter, broader vowel in /əˌpɔɪnˈtiː/, with a slightly longer, rounded /ɔɪ/ and a very clear final /iː/. IPA references: US /əˌpɔɪnˈtiː/, UK /əˌpɔɪnˈtiː/, AU /əˌpɔɪnˈtiː/.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable rhythm with secondary stress and a long final vowel. The /ɔɪ/ diphthong in the second syllable can be tricky, and the final /tiː/ requires a prolonged high front vowel after a consonant cluster. Learners often misplace stress or shorten the final vowel, leading to ‘apoin-tee’ or ‘appoint-ee’. Practice the two-part nucleus: /ə/ + /ˌpɔɪn/ then hold /tiː/ to mirror a natural ending.
The suffix '-ee' adds a separate, final syllable with a long /iː/ vowel. It shifts the stress to the penultimate syllable in appointee, creating a four-syllable rhythm for related words like appoint-ee. In connected speech, you should still articulate the final /iː/ clearly, avoiding a clipped ending. IPA cue: /əˌpɔɪnˈtiː/ maintains the final length and prevents a reduced vowel.
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