What does reappointing mean?
Reappointing means appointing someone to a position again, usually because the person has served in that role before. It is used in formal institutional contexts, particularly for judges, academics, senior officials, committee members, and other officeholders whose positions may be renewed for a further term. The phrase can also mean giving an existing officeholder an additional duty, so that the person is reappointed in an expanded role. As the present participle of reappoint, it commonly appears in progressive constructions such as “the council is reappointing its chair.” Its meaning is distinguished from simply appointing someone, which describes assigning a person to a role for the first time. Reappointing also carries a neutral implication of renewal: it may suggest experience and continuity, but can be used neutrally in legal or administrative reporting. The related noun reappointment names the act or decision of appointing someone again.
verbAppointing someone to a position they previously held, or appointing them to that position again after a break. It can also mean appointing a person to a new role in addition to one they already have.
- Appointing someone to a position they previously held, or appointing them to that position again after an interval.
- Assigning someone an additional role or responsibility while they remain in an existing position.
"The committee is reappointing its chair for a second term."
"The university is reappointing Professor Singh as head of the research department."
"After her successful first year, the director was reappointed with responsibility for an expanded programme."
Reappointing means giving someone another turn at the same job, but the prefix “re-” can also add a fresh responsibility to a role the person already has.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reappointing come from?
The word combines the prefix re-, meaning again, with appoint. The older word appoint developed through Old French from Latin roots associated with arranging or settling a matter, and in its modern English sense assigning someone to a position. Re- has long been used in English to indicate repetition, as in rebind, rebuild, and reappear. The form reappointing reflects the modern verb reappoint, used for assigning someone to a position again.
Related word forms
How reappointing is actually used
This is the present participle of the verb reappoint and is used in continuous or progressive constructions, such as “is reappointing” or “has been reappointing.” The word is formal and is especially common in institutional, governmental, legal, and academic contexts.
Easily confused with reappointing
Appointing means assigning someone to a position for the first time, whereas reappointing means assigning the position again, either after a previous appointment or in addition to another role.