To place someone in a chair of office or authority; to install formally in a position of leadership.
From en- (to cause to be) + chair (from Latin cathedra). This word parallels 'enthrone' but specifically refers to seating in a chair of office, often used in academic or religious contexts.
You don't hear 'enchair' much anymore, but it shows how languages once had specific verbs for specific ceremonial acts—to 'enchair' a professor was different from just hiring them; it was a formal installation that carried weight.
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