had appointed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had appointed" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that an appointment occurred before another past event or time. Example: "By the time the meeting started, the committee had appointed a new chairperson."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Stockton had appointed Frémont military governor of California, but Kearny would not recognize the appointment.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The King meanwhile had appointed him lord deputy of Ireland.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Cranko had appointed Anderson a soloist in 1974.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Nor did it hurt that a Tory had appointed Boyle.

The Guardian - Film

(Previously, the president of Mexico had appointed the mayor).

Encyclopedia Britannica

Mr. Koch had appointed both to the bench.

The New York Times

In 1997 Pol Pot had appointed him commander in chief.

The Guardian - Opinion

Young Melly had appointed himself the apostle of British surrealism.

The Guardian

At the beginning of the year, Yeltsin had appointed Soskovets to run the campaign.

The New Yorker

Walker had appointed his father, Paul Walker Senior, as the executor.

Independent

I only wish we had appointed your clan to the underwhelming deficit-reduction supercommittee.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Make sure the context clearly indicates who is doing the appointing and who is being appointed to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "had appointed" when referring to a present or future appointment. Use the appropriate tense, such as "has appointed" or "will appoint", depending on the timeline.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had appointed" functions as a past perfect transitive verb phrase. It indicates an action (appointing) completed before another point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Encyclopedias

20%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Science

3%

Academia

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had appointed" is a grammatically sound and frequently used past perfect verb phrase, as validated by Ludwig AI. It is most commonly found in News & Media, Encyclopedias and Wiki, serving to establish a sequence of events by indicating a past action that occurred before another point in time. While the phrase carries a neutral tone, it is most suitable for formal writing, but not only. When writing, ensure correct tense usage and provide a clear context for who is doing the appointing and being appointed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had nominated

Focuses on the act of suggesting someone for a position rather than the final decision.

had selected

Implies a choice was made from a set of candidates.

had designated

Suggests a more formal and official assignment.

had named

Emphasizes the act of publicly announcing the appointment.

had installed

Indicates the person was formally placed into their role.

had commissioned

Suggests the person was given a specific task or project.

had constituted

Refers to the act of formally establishing a group or body.

had employed

Highlights the act of hiring someone for a job.

had recruited

Emphasizes the effort made to find and attract the person.

had delegated

Focuses on transferring responsibility or authority to someone.

FAQs

How is "had appointed" used in a sentence?

The phrase "had appointed" indicates that someone made an appointment before a specific time in the past. For instance, "The committee "had appointed" a new director before the annual meeting" signifies the appointment occurred prior to the meeting.

What are some alternatives to "had appointed"?

Depending on the specific context, you can use alternatives such as "had nominated", "had selected", or "had designated".

When is it appropriate to use "had appointed" instead of "appointed"?

Use "had appointed" when you're discussing a past event and need to emphasize that the appointment occurred even earlier. "Appointed" is suitable when the timeline is less critical or in the present.

Is there a difference between "had appointed" and "was appointed"?

"Had appointed" indicates the action of appointing by someone, whereas "was appointed" refers to the state of being appointed by someone else. For example, "The governor "had appointed" her" versus "She "was appointed" by the governor".