Anointing

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. The ceremonial act of applying oil or ointment to a person or object as a sign of dedication or blessing ; the state or process of being chosen or consecrated for a special role or divine purpose
2. A ritual whereby oil or ointment is spread on someone’s body or an object to symbolize holiness or approval ; the condition of being officially designated or sanctified for a particular office or mission
3. The religious or symbolic practice of smearing oil for blessing or sanctification ; the experience or condition of having been set apart or empowered for a specific sacred role

Etymology: "Anointing" is the present participle and gerund of "anoint," so its history is really the history of that verb. "Anoint" comes from Old English "ænelian," formed from "ele" ("oil") with a prefix from Latin "in-," and it was reshaped in Middle English by the Old French "enoint," the past participle of "enoindre," which came from Latin "inungere," meaning "to smear on." The Latin root is the same one behind English "unguent," so the word shares its family with ointments and salves. The verb's history is partly a story of overlap. Medieval English kept the Old English form and the French-influenced form side by side, and the spelling "anoint" eventually settled in, while the oil-smearing sense remained literal in ordinary life. The religious sense, a ritual pouring of oil on a head to mark someone as chosen, was central in biblical and medieval contexts, especially for kings and priests. That is why "the Lord's anointed" became a standard phrase for a ruler chosen by God. The noun and gerund carry that ritual meaning forward. Over time, "anointing" moved from a physical act of applying oil to a broader sense of being singled out for a special task or destiny, so a person can now be said to have a "anointing" for a role without any oil involved.

Synonyms: consecration, blessing, sanctification, ordaining, smearing

Antonyms: cursing, damning, denying, disavowing, defiling