elect
verb (used with object)
to choose or select by vote, as for an office.
elect
1 American
[ih-lekt]
/ ɪˈlɛkt /
verb (used with object)
-
elects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
elected,
past participle, past
-
electing
present participle
-
to choose or select by vote, as for an office.
to elect a mayor.
-
to determine in favor of (a method, course of action, etc.).
-
to pick out; choose.
First-year students may elect French, Spanish, or German.
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Theology. (of God) to select for divine mercy or favor, especially for salvation.
verb (used without object)
-
elects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
elected,
past participle, past
-
electing
present participle
adjective
-
selected, as for an office, but not yet inducted (usually used in combination following a noun).
the governor-elect.
-
select or choice.
an elect circle of artists.
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Theology. chosen by God, especially for eternal life.
noun
-
a person or the persons chosen or worthy to be chosen.
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Theology. a person or persons chosen by God, especially for favor or salvation.
elect.
2
American
Or
elec
abbreviation
-
electric.
-
electrical.
-
electrician.
-
electricity.
elect
British
/ ɪˈlɛkt /
verb
-
(tr) to choose (someone) to be (a representative or a public official) by voting
they elected him Mayor
-
to select; choose
to elect to die rather than surrender
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(tr) (of God) to select or predestine for the grace of salvation
adjective
-
(immediately postpositive) voted into office but not yet installed
the president elect
-
-
chosen or choice; selected or elite
-
( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the elect
-
-
Christianity
-
selected or predestined by God to receive salvation; chosen
-
( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the elect
-
Synonym Usage
See choose.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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electabilitynoun
-
electeenoun
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nonelectnoun
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preelectverb (used with object)
-
reelectverb (used with object)
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electableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
electsimple
-
electssimple
-
have electedperfect
-
has electedperfect
-
am electingprogressive
-
are electingprogressive
-
is electingprogressive
-
have been electingperfect progressive
-
has been electingperfect progressive
Past
-
electedsimple
-
had electedperfect
-
was electingprogressive
-
were electingprogressive
-
had been electingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of elect
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin ēlēctus “chosen” (past participle of ēligere ), equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + leg- “choose” + -tus past participle suffix; see e- 1, elite
Explanation
To elect is to choose. A group of citizens may elect the next president, or you may just elect to stay home during the blizzard. Most famously, in the political sense, elect means to choose a person for public office, usually via an election. It also means to choose a particular course in life of major consequence. You probably don't elect to drink Pepsi over Coke, but you do elect to study a particular major at college, or sign up for military service.
Vocabulary lists containing elect
Election Lingo
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Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
JoAnna Mendoza, representative elect for Arizona’s 6th congressional district.
From Slate ● Nov. 9, 2026
Our embrace of Barack Obama highlighted an America mature enough to elect a Black man twice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
Latinos in Texas helped elect Gina Hinojosa, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, as Democratic governor, ending three decades of Republican rule there.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
Also in Texas, Latinos could swing the most competitive governor’s race the state has seen in years and, in doing so, elect the first Latina to the state’s top job.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
The space occupied by the stars is heaven, the habitation of God, the angels and the elect.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
“Listen to me. Please don’t forget, laws don’t just happen to you. Laws are made and they’re made by the people you elect. So you have a voice, exercise it.”
From Washington Times ● Apr. 7, 2016
In fact, for 36 of the last 44 years, City Hall has been occupied by four men whom Mr. Garth helped elect. is the fourth.
From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2010
Spenser. dim. diminutive. opp. opposed. subj. subjunctive. dub. doubtful. opt. optics. suff. suffix. eccles. ecclesiastical history. orig. originally. superl. superlative. e.g. for example. ornith. ornithology. surg. surgery. elect. electricity.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
Mississippi residents faced a "nerve-wracking" wait to see whether the southern state elects its first Black senator in more than a century as vote-counting dragged on Sunday after this past week's US midterms.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026
The second person takes the shares out in kind and elects net unrealized appreciation treatment.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
It’s one thing when a business elects to lock its doors, as Chick-fil-A does.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Each Texas county elects its own slate of local officials, which is why state law requires voters to register where they live.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Manny wins the coin toss and elects to receive.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
It came to light after he was elected to represent the Hylton Castle ward in May 2026.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
Koja, who was elected governor in September, is the first Okinawa leader in 12 years who has approved of a contentious US military base relocation plan.
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026
Local elected officials and appointees present included U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026
Perhaps the most obvious trade ever, even in hindsight, was to buy defense stocks after Ronald Reagan was elected president.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026
Although Hancock had never held elected office, he had an edge in the election.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
But majorities of both groups — 52% of Latino voters and 58% of likely voters — believe electing the state’s first Latino governor is either “not too important” or “not at all important.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Thad Kousser, a UC-San Diego political science professor, said that electing election skeptics to office doesn’t necessarily mean that they will throw a wrench into the process.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
In 2026, your mother can contribute up to $95,000 in one go by electing to front-load five years of annual gift-tax exclusions.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
They were also electing 226 seats in parliament.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Also in 1915, blacks played a decisive role in electing the mayor, Republican William Thompson.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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