canvass

American  

[kan-vuhs] / ˈkæn vəs /

verb (used with object)

• canvasses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• canvassed,
  past participle,  past
• canvassing
  present participle

1. to solicit votes, subscriptions, opinions, or the like from.

2. to examine carefully; investigate by inquiry; discuss; debate.

   Synonyms:

   explore, scrutinize, analyze

---

verb (used without object)

• canvasses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• canvassed,
  past participle,  past
• canvassing
  present participle

1. to solicit votes, opinions, or the like.

noun

• canvasses
  plural

1. a soliciting of votes, orders, or the like.

2. a campaign for election to government office.

3. close inspection; scrutiny.

   the official canvass of election results.

canvass British  

/ ˈkænvəs /

verb

1. to solicit votes, orders, advertising, etc, from

2. to determine the feelings and opinions of (voters before an election, etc), esp by conducting a survey

3. to investigate (something) thoroughly, esp by discussion or debate

4. to inspect (votes) officially to determine their validity

---

noun

1. a solicitation of opinions, votes, sales orders, etc

2. close inspection; scrutiny

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• canvasser
  noun
• canvassing
  noun
• undercanvass
  verb
• precanvass
  verb (used with object)
• uncanvassed
  adjective
• well-canvassed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• canvasses
  plural

Participles

• canvassing
  present
• canvassed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• canvass
  simple
• canvasses
  simple
• have canvassed
  perfect
• has canvassed
  perfect
• am canvassing
  progressive
• are canvassing
  progressive
• is canvassing
  progressive
• have been canvassing
  perfect progressive
• has been canvassing
  perfect progressive

Past

• canvassed
  simple
• had canvassed
  perfect
• was canvassing
  progressive
• were canvassing
  progressive
• had been canvassing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will canvass
  simple
• will have canvassed
  perfect
• will be canvassing
  progressive
• will have been canvassing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of canvass

First recorded in 1500–10; originally a spelling variant of canvas, as a verb; the sense “discuss” apparently a development of the earlier senses “toss in a canvas sheet,” and “harshly criticize”; the sense “solicit votes” is obscurely derived

Explanation

A canvass is a poll, usually a political one. Around elections, political parties often canvass particular neighborhoods, looking for votes and trying to measure the pulse of the people. You might think of canvass as the heavy cotton cloth that is pronounced the same although spelled with only one s, that is, canvas. Canvas is used to cover things, and a canvass serves the same sort of purpose. Before elections, politicians want to cover their neighborhoods and districts with canvasses, campaign workers, flyers and the like in hopes of securing votes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

canvass canvasses canvassed canvassing

He called on an official canvass of votes by electoral authorities to determine the winner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

“When I canvass for Chuck, sometimes I ask people, ‘What do you actually think about the state of the Democratic Party?’

From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026

Rand’s researchers, who canvass the three neighborhoods every two months, found that the shortfalls coincide with an increase in the percentage of people “sleeping rough,” without the protection of a vehicle or tent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025

It was also fitting that a playmaker that has created such artistry on the grass canvass has had a huge mural painted of him in Manchester's Northern Quarter.

From BBC ● May 20, 2025

Geyer began the same methodical canvass he had conducted in Cincinnati.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Arts minister Sir Chris Bryant said Turner "reshaped British art" and was "an innovator who created some of our best known canvasses".

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2025

Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso all brushed their canvasses with it.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2024

At Girls State, Emily, a conservative Christian, hopes to be elected governor, a goal she shares with the left-leaning Cecilia Bartin, who canvasses the lunchroom by shouting from a chair.

From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2024

“I’m thrilled that the library has chosen to bring back the bookmobile,” said Consuelo Soto Murphy, an artist and Sunnyside native who designed the three canvasses that adorn the sides and back of the vehicle.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 16, 2023

Mr. Julian has not worked much with the suffrage societies of his own State, but he has never failed in his repeated canvasses to utter the seasonable word.

From History of Woman Suffrage, Volume III by Elizabeth Cady Stanton

While Brooks canvassed for the state’s largest progressive community action organization, she thought about one of her first interactions knocking doors this cycle.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

Minsal, who led the teams that canvassed three large census tracts with the greatest variation, said he recalls their 2025 count being lower and thinks a digital glitch doubled it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Farmers, landowners, and members of the public are being canvassed on whether storks should be reintroduced across Britain.

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

That poll, commissioned by the annuity provider Global Atlantic, canvassed just over 1,000 consumers between the ages of 55 and 75 with between $250,000 and $2 million in investible assets.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

We knocked on doors in the Cabrini-Green housing project, went to community meetings, and canvassed programs that worked with single mothers.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Issues are what Brooks starts with when she speaks to voters canvassing across Maine.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

In Brooklyn, organizers distribute “Red Cards” with 90-day checklists of activities like attending a coffee or canvassing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Long before the Supreme Court handed down the landmark Obergefell ruling on equal marriage in 2015, activists were canvassing door to door, courting any lawmaker who would listen, and losing at the local level—a lot.

From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2026

The group is expected to focus on door-to-door canvassing, digital advertising and direct mail aimed at mobilizing conservative voters who are less likely to participate in non-presidential elections.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

After canvassing the street, he’d stand on the curb’s edge and look up at the house windows.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

• agitate
• consult
• inspect
• scrutinize
• solicit