nominate
verb
nom·i·nate
ˈnä-mə-ˌnāt 
nominated; nominating
1
2
a
: to appoint or propose for appointment to an office or place
a judge who 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
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
One of the film projects his students in Rwanda asked to do focused o how locals were learning to create handmade paper from banana plants, a full-circle moment because McGowan was nominated for an Academy Award in 1992 for his documentary on an Indiana couple who create handmade paper.
—
Edie Kasten, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
The film is France’s submission for best international feature film at the 2026 Academy Awards, was nominated for four Golden Globes and won three Gotham Awards, including best international feature and best director.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Jan. 2026
You're nominated in the Best Dance Pop Recording category against Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, Lady Gaga, your friend PinkPantheress and tour mate Tate McRae.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 2 Jan. 2026
Pawlikowski was last on the festival in 2018 with Cold War which played in competition in Cannes and was nominated for three Oscars.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nominate
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Edie Kasten, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
The film is France’s submission for best international feature film at the 2026 Academy Awards, was nominated for four Golden Globes and won three Gotham Awards, including best international feature and best director.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Jan. 2026
You're nominated in the Best Dance Pop Recording category against Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, Lady Gaga, your friend PinkPantheress and tour mate Tate McRae.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 2 Jan. 2026
Pawlikowski was last on the festival in 2018 with Cold War which played in competition in Cannes and was nominated for three Oscars.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nominate
Cite this Entry
“Nominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nominate. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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