appointment
B1Formal, Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A pre-arranged meeting at an agreed time and place, typically for professional, medical, or official purposes.
The act of assigning someone to a position or role; the position or role itself; an arrangement to do something at a particular time; fixtures and fittings in a building (archaic).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily denotes a formal arrangement for a meeting or a job position. Implies planning and officiality. Not typically used for casual social meetings (e.g., 'meeting a friend' uses 'meet up').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the context of medical visits, BrE uses 'I have a doctor's appointment' while AmE also commonly uses 'I have a doctor's appointment' but 'appointment with the doctor' is equally standard. The word 'appointment' for a job position is more formal in both varieties.
Connotations
In both, it connotes formality and schedule. No significant connotative difference.
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both varieties. Slightly more formal than 'meeting' in a business context.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have + an appointment (with)make + an appointment (for/with)schedule/fix + an appointment (for)cancel/miss + an appointmentVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “by appointment (to Her Majesty the Queen)”
- “a stitch in time saves nine (proverb related to scheduling)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A formal meeting arranged in a professional diary, e.g., 'I have a 2 PM appointment with the client.'
Academic
The assignment of a person to a post, e.g., 'Her appointment as professor was celebrated.'
Everyday
A pre-arranged time for a service, e.g., 'I need to book a hairdresser appointment.'
Technical
In software, a data structure representing a booked time slot in a calendar system.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The committee will appoint a new chair.
- He was appointed to the role last week.
American English
- The board appointed her CEO.
- We need to appoint a time for the next call.
adverb
British English
- N/A (no direct adverb form for 'appointment')
- N/A
American English
- N/A
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The newly appointed manager started today.
- He held an appointive office.
American English
- She is the appointed representative.
- Meet at the appointed hour.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday.
- She made an appointment with the dentist.
- My appointment is at three o'clock.
- I need to cancel my hair appointment as I'm unwell.
- He missed his job interview appointment due to traffic.
- The museum is open to the public by appointment only.
- Her appointment as head of department was met with unanimous approval.
- We have a firm appointment with the architects next week to discuss the plans.
- Managing his calendar involves juggling dozens of appointments daily.
- The ambassadorial appointment was a strategic move in foreign policy.
- Despite a clash in his schedule, he managed to secure an appointment with the CEO.
- The constitutional provisions outline the procedure for the appointment of judges.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
APPOINTMENT = APPOINT (to assign or arrange) + MENT (the result of the action). You APPOINT a time, and the result is an APPOINTMENT.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A RESOURCE (to be allocated and booked). LIFE IS A SCHEDULE (of pre-arranged events).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'назначение' for a meeting (use 'встреча' or 'приём'). 'Назначение' is correct for a job position. For 'doctor's appointment', use 'приём у врача' or 'запись к врачу', not 'врачебное назначение'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'appointment' for a casual meeting with friends (use 'plans' or 'meet up'). Confusing 'appointment' (pre-arranged) with 'meeting' (can be more general). Incorrect preposition: 'appointment *with* someone', 'appointment *for* a time/purpose'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely context for the word 'appointment'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An 'appointment' is typically a pre-arranged one-on-one engagement for a service or consultation (doctor, haircut). A 'meeting' is often a gathering of people for discussion, which can be formal or informal, scheduled or unscheduled.
No, it sounds overly formal and clinical. Use 'date', 'plans', or 'meet-up' for casual social arrangements.
Yes, both are correct and commonly used. The first is slightly more formal, the second is a common possessive collocation.
It means you cannot visit or receive service without first arranging a specific time in advance. It's common for high-end services, private viewings, or busy professionals.
Collections
Part of a collection
Health and Body
A2 · 48 words · Talking about health, illness and medical care.
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