Anointed Meaning: What Does Anointed Mean?
Quick Answer
Anointed (pronounced uh-NOIN-tid) means consecrated or made sacred — usually through a ceremony involving oil — or chosen by (or as if by) divine authority for a special role. “The Anointed” (capitalized) refers to the Messiah — literally “the anointed one.”
- Religious: Consecrated with oil; divinely chosen
- Figurative: Formally chosen/elevated (“the anointed successor”)
- Literal: Rubbed or sprinkled with oil
- Root: Latin inungere — “to smear on”
What Does “Anointed” Mean?
Anointed carries three layers of meaning, from the sacred to the everyday. At its most literal, it means rubbed or sprinkled with oil — the physical act that everything else grows from. In its religious sense, it means consecrated or made sacred: a person, object, or place set apart for God through a ceremony, usually involving holy oil. And figuratively, it means chosen by (or as if by) divine authority for a special purpose — the designated one.
As a noun, “the Anointed” (capitalized) refers to a person chosen by God — most famously, the Messiah, whose very title means “the anointed one.” This is why the word always carries a trace of solemnity, even in secular use: to call someone “anointed” is to say their selection had weight — as if some higher authority had a hand in it.
The word sits at an interesting crossroads: it is both a physical description (oil was applied) and a status declaration (this person is chosen). The oil is the visible sign; the choosing is the invisible reality it marks.
Pronunciation & Word Forms
Pronunciation: uh-NOIN-tid (/əˈnɔɪntəd/) — three syllables, with the stress on “NOIN”. A common mistake is stressing the last syllable (“uh-noin-TED”); keep it on the middle one. The related verb anoint is pronounced uh-NOINT (/əˈnɔɪnt/).
The word family is small but useful:
- Verb: anoint — to apply oil ceremonially; by extension, to formally confer a title, office, or power on someone.
- Noun: anointing — the ceremony or act itself; anointer — the one who performs it.
- Adjective: anointed — the chosen one, the consecrated one.
Note that “anoint” as a verb can take either a person or an office as its object: a priest anoints a king, and a board of directors can — figuratively — anoint a successor. In both cases, the grammar carries the same promise: this person is now marked for the role.
Etymology
The word travels a clear path from physical to sacred. It begins with the Latin verb inungere — literally “to smear on” (oil, ointment). From there it passed through Old French (enoindre) into Middle English, arriving as the word we know.
The etymology tells the whole story of the word’s meaning: the physical act came first — smearing oil on a person or thing — and the sacred meaning grew from the ceremony built around that act. Oil itself was valuable and precious, so pouring it over someone was inherently a gesture of honor and dedication.
This pattern — a concrete action accumulating spiritual meaning — is common in religious language (compare “baptize,” from a Greek word for dipping). But “anoint” is a particularly clean example: oil first, meaning followed. Every later use of the word, from coronations to CEO appointments, is still echoing that original smear of oil.
The Religious Meaning
In the Hebrew Bible, anointing with oil was the ceremony that set a person apart for a sacred purpose. The practice covered all three of Israel’s anointed offices:
- Kings: Saul, David, and Solomon were each anointed as rulers. The most famous scene has the prophet Samuel pouring oil over the young David’s head — a private, almost secret ceremony marking him God’s chosen king while Saul still sat on the throne.
- Priests: the High Priest, chosen from Aaron’s descendants, was anointed for temple service — the oil marking him as fit to approach God on the people’s behalf.
- Prophets: commissioned and legitimized through anointing, which signaled that their words carried divine authority.
- Objects too: the tabernacle and its furnishings were anointed before worship began — even things could be set apart as sacred.
The symbolism: oil represented being filled and empowered by God’s Spirit — a visible sign of an invisible choosing. To watch someone be anointed was to watch their status change before your eyes.
The practice never died out. British monarchs are still anointed at their coronations — one of the few moments in the ceremony kept hidden from cameras, preserving its intimacy. In Christianity more broadly, “anointed” also describes being empowered by the Holy Spirit for God’s purposes, and anointing with oil remains part of baptism, confirmation, and healing rites in many traditions.
“The Anointed”: Messiah
Here the word reaches its highest register. “Messiah” literally means “the anointed one” — from the Hebrew mashiach, through the Greek christos, which gives us “Christ.” Every time the New Testament says “Jesus Christ,” it is saying “Jesus the Anointed” — the title is built into the name.
The biblical phrase “the Lord’s anointed” described one chosen by God — most dramatically when King David, with every reason to kill the pursuing King Saul, spares him precisely because Saul is “the Lord’s anointed”. To strike God’s chosen was unthinkable, even when the chosen one was hunting you. The title carried protection as well as honor.
As a title, “the Anointed” gathers solemnity, destiny, and divine favor into two words — it means the chosen deliverer, the one the story has been waiting for. No secular use of the word ever quite escapes this gravity; when a company names its “anointed successor,” some echo of that destiny still clings to it.
The Secular/Figurative Use
Outside religion, “anointed” means formally chosen and elevated — with the implication that the choice was decisive, almost unquestionable. Common uses:
- “The company’s newly anointed CEO.” — formally chosen and elevated, with a hint that the selection was orchestrated from above.
- “Stalin left no anointed successor.” — no designated heir, which is why the power struggle followed.
- Politics: “the anointed candidate” — handpicked by the party establishment.
- Sports: “the anointed one“ — the young star destined for greatness, marked for success before they’ve fully earned it.
- Literal/cooking: “lemon-juice-anointed oysters” — just sprinkled, a playful return to the word’s physical root!
Note the tone: calling someone “anointed” in a secular context is often slightly ironic. It can hint that the choice seemed inevitable, unquestionable — or suspiciously smooth, as if the fix were in. The word carries just enough religious weight to make the irony land.
Anoint vs Appoint vs Ordain
| Word | Core Sense | Flavor |
|---|---|---|
| Anoint | Consecrate with oil; choose sacredly | Solemn, divine |
| Appoint | Assign to a role | Official, neutral |
| Ordain | Confer holy orders; decree | Religious, formal |
The difference is atmosphere. A committee appoints — that’s paperwork. A church ordains — that’s ceremony. But to anoint is to do something stranger and older: it claims the choice has weight beyond human decision, as if the heavens signed off on it. That’s why headlines use “anointed” when they want to suggest a choice was preordained rather than merely decided — and why they never use it for something as mundane as a parking assignment.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Word | Anointed |
| Pronounced | uh-NOIN-tid |
| Means | Consecrated / chosen |
| Root | Latin inungere |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does anointed mean?
Consecrated with oil and divinely chosen for a special role. In everyday use it means formally selected and elevated, as if by a higher authority.
How do you pronounce anointed?
uh-NOIN-tid (/əˈnɔɪntəd/) — stress on the middle syllable. The verb anoint is uh-NOINT.
What does “the anointed one” mean?
The Messiah — the title literally means “the anointed one”. Christ is simply the Greek word for “anointed.”
What does anointed mean in the Bible?
Set apart by God — kings, priests, and prophets were anointed with oil to mark them as divinely chosen for their roles.
What is the origin of “anoint”?
Latin inungere — “to smear on” (oil). The word passed through Old French into Middle English, and the sacred meaning grew from the ceremony around the physical act.
Can “anointed” be used secularly?
Yes — “the anointed successor” means the chosen heir. The usage is often slightly ironic, hinting the choice seemed preordained or suspiciously smooth.
What’s the difference between anoint and appoint?
Anoint is a sacred choosing (with overtones of destiny); appoint is an official assigning (neutral, bureaucratic). Use “anointed” when the choice feels weighty.
What does “the Lord’s anointed” mean?
One chosen by God — the phrase is most famous from King David sparing Saul’s life because, as David said, Saul was “the Lord’s anointed.”
Who was anointed in the Bible?
Three offices: kings (Saul, David, Solomon), priests (the High Priest), and prophets. Sacred objects like the tabernacle were anointed too.
Is anointing still practiced today?
Yes — British monarchs are still anointed at coronations, and anointing with oil remains part of baptism, confirmation, and healing rites in many Christian traditions.
What is chrism?
Holy oil — consecrated, often fragrant oil used in baptism, confirmation, and ordination rites. The name shares a root with “Christ” (the anointed one).
Source: For the full history of sacred anointing, see Wikipedia’s article on anointing.
