anointed

[ uh-noin-tid ]
See synonyms for anointed on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. consecrated or made sacred; dedicated to God, often in a ceremony that includes dabbing or sprinkling with holy oil: In the Bible, the anointed High Priest was chosen from among the descendants of Aaron.From the highest patriarch to the youngest baptized and anointed infant, communion was received by all at the Orthodox church.

  2. chosen by or as if by divine authority; chosen for a sacred, high, or special vocation or purpose: Stalin left no anointed successor, nor any framework for the orderly transfer of power.

  1. Christianity. empowered or made effective for God’s purposes by the special activity of the Holy Spirit: This is one of the most anointed websites I’ve ever visited—I was so encouraged by the devotional there.

  2. rubbed or sprinkled with oil, ointment, or other oil-based mixture: Pausing in the kitchen with the turkey, I heard ripples of anticipation as guests awaited the anointed bird and its accouterments.

  3. sprinkled or smeared with any liquid (often used in combination): The Pilsner on tap was a lovely light beer that paired nicely with lemon-juice-anointed oysters.

noun
  1. Often A·noint·ed . the person or people chosen or declared chosen by God: David kept Abishai from killing King Saul, because it would be wicked to attack the Lord's anointed.

verb
  1. the simple past tense and past participle of anoint.

Origin of anointed

1
First recorded in 1375–1425; anoint + -ed2 for the adjective and noun senses; anoint + -ed1 for the verb sense

Other words from anointed

  • self-a·noint·ed, adjective
  • un·a·noint·ed, adjective
  • well-a·noint·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024