What does "nominate" mean?
A nominee.
Nominate
/ˈnɒm.ɪ.neɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A nominee.
- Grammar: nominate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: appoint, name, propose, a single.
- Useful contrasts: reject, withdraw.
- Usage evidence: I would like to nominate Don Jones as chairman.
How to use "nominate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nominate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "nominate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "nominate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nominate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "nominate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "appoint" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "nominate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A nominee. obsolete
Verb
- 1 To name someone as a candidate for a particular role or position, including that of an office.
- 2 propose as a candidate for some honor wordnet
- 3 To specify in advance which pocket a ball will be potted in; to call; to name.
- 4 create and charge with a task or function wordnet
- 5 To designate a peer (or oneself) as corresponding to a (potentially positive or negative) description.
"In the unlimited method, they are allowed to nominate as many or as few peers as they see fit for each question."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 charge with a function; charge to be wordnet
- 7 To entitle, confer a name upon. obsolete
"1658: the City of Norwich … was enlarged, builded and nominated by the Saxons. — Sir Thomas Browne, Urne-Burial (Penguin 2005, p. 12)"
- 8 put forward; nominate for appointment to an office or for an honor or position wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Named, called; nominated, appointed etc. not-comparable, obsolete
- 2 Mentioned by name, noted. not-comparable, obsolete
- 3 Nominated to an office. not-comparable, obsolete
"an executor nominate / a nominate executor"
- 4 Having a special name or mentioning a particular name. not-comparable, obsolete
- 5 nominotypical not-comparable
"the nominate subspecies"
Example
"I would like to nominate Don Jones as chairman."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nominate"?
Common synonyms include: appoint, name, propose, a single, apply, appoint.
How do you use "nominate" in a sentence?
I would like to nominate Don Jones as chairman.
How do you pronounce "nominate"?
Pronounced /ˈnɒm.ɪ.neɪt/.
Etymology
PIE word *h₁nómn̥ The adjective is first attested in 1450, in Middle English, the verb in 1545; partly from Middle English nominat(e) (“named, designated”), from Latin nōminātus, perfect passive participle of nōminō (“to name”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), from nōmen (“a name”). Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.