nominate
verb
nom·i·nate
ˈnä-mə-ˌnāt 
nominated; nominating
1
2
a
: to appoint or propose for appointment to an office or place
He was nominated to the Supreme Court.
b
: to propose as a candidate for election to office
We expect the party to nominate him for president.
c
: to propose for an honor
nominate her for player of the year
He was nominated for an Academy Award.
3
: to enter (a horse) in a race
Synonyms
Examples of nominate in a Sentence
We expect the party to nominate him for president.
The President nominated her for Attorney General.
Someone has to tell her the truth—I nominate you.
We nominated her for player of the year.
Recent Examples on the Web
After the ruins of the Federalist Party failed to nominate a single candidate, Monroe won re-election effectively unopposed in the 1820 election.
—
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Dec. 2024
And, look, the – this announcement that Kash Patel is going to be nominated for a high-ranking position at the FBI, very key to the Department of Justice, raises a lot of the same questions that other announcements and other nominations raise.
—CBS News, 1 Dec. 2024
Gaetz resigned earlier this month after being nominated by President-elect Trump for attorney general.
—Steven Lemongello, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Dec. 2024
The lawsuit follows President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy.
—Jackson Walker, Baltimore Sun, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nominate 
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Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Dec. 2024
And, look, the – this announcement that Kash Patel is going to be nominated for a high-ranking position at the FBI, very key to the Department of Justice, raises a lot of the same questions that other announcements and other nominations raise.
—CBS News, 1 Dec. 2024
Gaetz resigned earlier this month after being nominated by President-elect Trump for attorney general.
—Steven Lemongello, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Dec. 2024
The lawsuit follows President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy.
—Jackson Walker, Baltimore Sun, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nominate
Dictionary Entries Near nominate
Cite this Entry
“Nominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nominate. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
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nominate
verb
nom·i·nate
ˈnäm-ə-ˌnāt
nominated; nominating
: to choose as a candidate for election, appointment, or honor
especially
: to propose for office
nominated a senator for president
Legal Definition
nominate
1 of 2 adjective
nom·i·nate
ˈnä-mə-nət, -ˌnāt
in the civil law of Louisiana
: having a special or certain name compare innominate
nominate
2 of 2 transitive verb
nom·i·nate
ˈnä-mə-ˌnāt
nominated; nominating
1
: to appoint or propose for appointment to an office, position, or place
if the testator has nominated an executor of the will
the President…shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors—U.S. Constitution art. II
U.S. Constitution art. II2
: to propose as a candidate for election to office
Etymology
Latin nominatus, past participle of nominare to call by name, from nomin-, nomen name
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