midnight appointment

noun

The appointment of a new person to a role by the existing holder of the role, very shortly before leaving office.

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Meanings

nounmidnight appointment (plural midnight appointments)

plural midnight appointments

  1. governmentThe appointment of a new person to a role by the existing holder of the role, very shortly before leaving office.
Cite this entry
APA

midnight appointment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/midnight%20appointment

MLA

“midnight appointment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/midnight%20appointment. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “midnight appointment,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/midnight%20appointment.

Source: midnight appointment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.