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electoral

American  
[ih-lek-ter-uhl, ee-lek-tawr-uhl] / ɪˈlɛk tər əl, ˌi lɛkˈtɔr əl /

adjective

  1. pertaining to electors or election.

  2. consisting of electors.


electoral British  
/ ɪˈlɛktərəl /

adjective

  1. relating to or consisting of electors

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of electoral

First recorded in 1665–75; elector + -al 1


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Explanation

The adjective electoral describes anything having to do with elections. When people talk about "electoral reform," they're referring to changing the way political elections work. When you see the word electoral, you can be sure that the subject is politics and elections. An electoral district, for example, is a specific geographic area that elects a representative or has its votes counted separately, and electoral fraud means rigging votes or interfering with the process of an election. Electoral comes from the noun elector, or "voter in an election." In Latin, it means "chooser or selector," from the root eligere, "select."

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Vocabulary lists containing electoral

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:

Although losing sides have often complained about Brazil’s elections, the country’s electoral system is widely considered fair and transparent.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026

But the electoral outcomes of 2024 inspired him further.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

Measuring the electoral impact of online mobilisation, however, is notoriously difficult.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

With turnout at just 5.8 percent at 11:00 am local time, according to the Bulgarian electoral commission, voter Valentina Stoeva, 44, told AFP she hoped "that Bulgarians will go out and vote today".

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

That included Mr. Lincoln’s home state of Illinois; but to Jethro’s disappointment, it was not southern Illinois that gave the state’s electoral votes to the President.

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt

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