power of appointment

2 8.8

The right to choose who gets certain property, often in a will

noun

Formal

: poder de nombramiento

The power of appointment enables the executor of the will to distribute assets according to the deceased's wishes.

Examples

In 1963, when Nigeria became a republic, the power of appointment remained with the governors of the regions and the president of the republic.

Academic text (1991)
The power of appointment is eight pages.

Changing Lanes (2002)
This is Simon Dunne's power of appointment.

Changing Lanes (2002)
It's unnecessary, because you've already filed the power of appointment with the court.

Changing Lanes (2002)
Simon Dunne signed a power of appointment appointing Walter Arnell and Stephen Delano sole trustees of the foundation.

Changing Lanes (2002)
In her will, she granted the power of appointment to her daughter, allowing her to choose who would inherit the family estate.
He used his power of appointment to designate a charity as the beneficiary of his life insurance policy.

Surface Forms

power of appointment singular

powers of appointment plural

Morphology

power + of + appointment

The components 'power' + 'appointment' transparently suggest an authority to appoint someone (i.e., 'power to appoint'), so there is a clear compositional link. However, the phrase is a specialized legal term with a specific meaning about designating beneficiaries and 'appointment' is ambiguous (often understood as a meeting), so a B1 learner who only knows the basic word senses would likely not recover the full legal nuance without exposure.

Etymology

Power of appointment shows that a person has the power, or right, to make an appointment, that is, to pick who gets something from a will or trust. So, it means 'the right to decide who will receive certain property'.