Meaning & use
anoint
Last updated
To apply oil to someone as part of a religious or ceremonial rite, or to symbolically choose or designate someone for a role.
See it in a sentence
The priest anointed the newborn's forehead with holy oil during the ceremony.
The retiring CEO publicly anointed her successor at the annual meeting.
A note on using this word
The figurative sense, naming someone as a chosen successor or favorite, is now at least as common as the literal religious ritual.
Words with a similar meaning
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