nominee

American  

[nom-uh-nee] / ˌnɒm əˈni /

noun

• nominees
  plural

1. a person nominated, as to run for elective office or fill a particular post.

2. a person in whose name title to real estate or ownership of stock is held but who is not the actual proprietor or holder.

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nominee British  

/ ˌnɒmɪˈniː /

noun

1. a person who is nominated to an office or as a candidate

2. 1. a person or organization named to act on behalf of someone else, esp to conceal the identity of the nominator

   2. ( as modifier )

      nominee shareholder

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nominees
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nominee

First recorded in 1655–65; nomin(ate) + -ee

Explanation

A nominee is someone running for office. You could be a nominee for student council or for the presidency. To nominate is to name or select someone as a candidate for office. In the United States, the primary elections help each party figure out who to nominate to run for office. That candidate is called the nominee. Once a nominee is selected, he or she runs against the sitting president. There are nominees at every level of government. Being a nominee is quite an honor, but it's not the ultimate goal: a nominee could still win or lose the election.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nominee nominees

Earlier this week, California’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Xavier Becerra, said he favored a settlement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

One of them was Evers, who warned that Hong would “probably” lose to Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026

A three-time Emmy nominee for supporting actress in a comedy series for her work on “Shrinking,” she’s made an art of it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Under Indonesian law, the president must submit the nominee to parliament for a fit-and-proper test, a legislative process that typically takes several weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Because I was grateful the nominee didn’t turn out to be me'' I pounced on this. “So you let Cap swallow the hook.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Diana later withdrew all but two of its board nominees, and Genco shareholders voted against those candidates at a shareholder meeting in June, Genco has said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Perhaps even more telling: All five directing nominees in the doc/nonfiction space helmed celebrity-centric works.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

It’s rare that candidates are nominated through conventions, which are often opportunities for endless speeches—much like the quadrennial political conventions that national parties hold to ratify their nominees.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Michigan’s primary and Maine’s process to replace Platner will determine whether any women join Alaska’s Mary Peltola as Democratic nominees in the nine most competitive races this year.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

The vast majority of prelates in it were docile nominees of the new head of the Church.

From The New Irish Constitution by J. H. Morgan

Related Words

• applicant
• appointee
• aspirant
• contender
• contestant