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
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
When the cooperation agreement expired, however, Biglari immediately returned to his old ways, announcing his intention to nominate five candidates to Cracker Barrel’s board.
—
Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
He had been nominated in that category for five straight years, winning in the last three years.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
Trump nominated Siebert for the position in May.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2025
So now, almost 20 years later, you're nominated for an Emmy on a show with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nominate
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Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
He had been nominated in that category for five straight years, winning in the last three years.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
Trump nominated Siebert for the position in May.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2025
So now, almost 20 years later, you're nominated for an Emmy on a show with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nominate
Cite this Entry
“Nominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nominate. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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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