vote

American  

[voht] / voʊt /

noun

• votes
  plural

1. a formal expression of opinion or choice made by an individual or body of individuals, especially in an election.

2. the means by which such expression is made, as a ballot, ticket, or show of hands.

3. the right to such expression.

   The 19th Amendment gave women the vote.

4. the total number of votes cast.

   The heavy vote was a result of a new law that allows mailed-in ballots to be scanned days in advance of the close of voting.

5. the decision reached by voting, as by a majority of ballots cast.

   The vote was in favor of the resolution.

6. a particular group of voters, or their collective expression of will as inferred from their votes.

   Two large unions endorsed the candidate on Monday, as he continues to court the labor vote.

7. an informal expression of approval, agreement, or judgment.

   My vote is for pepperoni—anchovies on pizza are gross!

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verb (used without object)

• votes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• voted,
  past participle,  past
• voting
  present participle

1. to express or signify will or choice in a matter, as by casting a ballot: Don’t blame me if this film gives you nightmares—I voted for the romcom.

   Only three Republicans broke with their party to vote against the measure.

   Don’t blame me if this film gives you nightmares—I voted for the romcom.

verb (used with object)

• votes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• voted,
  past participle,  past
• voting
  present participle

1. to enact, establish, or determine by vote.

   Threats were made against members of Congress who voted the bill into law.

2. to support by one's vote.

   When Susan B. Anthony defied the law and voted in 1872, she proudly voted the Republican ticket.

3. to advocate by or as if by one's vote: I vote we go to Disney World.

   The committee voted that the report be accepted.

   I vote we go to Disney World.

4. to declare or decide by general consent.

   They voted the trip a success.

5. to encourage or cause to vote, especially in a particular way.

vote British  

/ vəʊt /

noun

1. an indication of choice, opinion, or will on a question, such as the choosing of a candidate, by or as if by some recognized means, such as a ballot

   10 votes for Jones

2. the opinion of a group of persons as determined by voting

   it was put to the vote

   do not take a vote

   it came to a vote

3. a body of votes or voters collectively

   the Jewish vote

4. the total number of votes cast

   the vote decreased at the last election

5. the ticket, ballot, etc, by which a vote is expressed

6. 1. the right to vote; franchise; suffrage

   2. a person regarded as the embodiment of this right

7. a means of voting, such as a ballot

8. a grant or other proposition to be voted upon

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verb

1. (when tr, takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to express or signify (one's preference, opinion, or will) (for or against some question, etc)

   to vote by ballot

   we voted that it was time to adjourn

   vote for me!

2. (intr) to declare oneself as being (something or in favour of something) by exercising one's vote

   to vote socialist

3. (tr; foll by into or out of, etc) to appoint or elect (a person to or from a particular post)

   they voted him into the presidency

   he was voted out of office

4. (tr) to determine the condition of in a specified way by voting

   the court voted itself out of existence

5. (tr) to authorize, confer, or allow by voting

   vote us a rise

6. informal (tr) to declare by common opinion

   the party was voted a failure

7. (tr) to influence or control the voting of

   do not try to vote us!

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prevote
  noun
• revote
  noun
• revote
  verb
• unvoted
  adjective
• unvoting
  adjective
• votable
  adjective
• voteless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• votes
  plural

Participles

• voting
  present
• voted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• vote
  simple
• votes
  simple
• have voted
  perfect
• has voted
  perfect
• am voting
  progressive
• are voting
  progressive
• is voting
  progressive
• have been voting
  perfect progressive
• has been voting
  perfect progressive

Past

• voted
  simple
• had voted
  perfect
• was voting
  progressive
• were voting
  progressive
• had been voting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will vote
  simple
• will have voted
  perfect
• will be voting
  progressive
• will have been voting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of vote

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English noun from Latin vōtum “a vow made to a deity; prayer, desire, hope”; see also vow

Explanation

Your vote is your official choice on some specific question. You might feel that your vote hardly counts in a Presidential election, though your vote for student council treasurer might feel like it has a lot more importance. A vote is a formal noting of your preference, in an online poll or sitting in a circle with your book group, or when you cast it on a ballot at a polling place. To voice that preference is also to vote, either officially or more casually: "Let's all vote on a group costume for Halloween this year — a bag of jelly beans or the seven dwarfs?" The Latin root of vote is votum, "a vow, wish, or promise."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vote votes voted voting

The amendment, which was not moved to a vote, was signed by more than 60 MPs.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

Bass sent USC President Beong-Soo Kim a letter this week urging him to drop the university’s legal challenge to a June vote to form a union and to “bargain in good faith.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

The group declined to give out the exact percentage of the vote that Raman won.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Markey soundly defeated House Rep. Seth Moulton in the state’s Democratic primary on Tuesday, carrying 65% of the vote.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Well, I didn’t vote for Reagan,” White finally remarked.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

This proposal was rejected in the Commons by 427 votes to 85, majority 342.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

In total, more than 1,400 votes were cast.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

The market has assigned confident odds to votes that will be cast after four numbers nobody has seen.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

Dahlia Lithwick: Now that all of Gorsuch’s votes for the term are in and logged, do you feel as if you basically still understand who he is as a justice, Susan?

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

Johnson crushed Goldwater, getting 43 million votes to Goldwater’s 27 million.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega was voted out in 1990 after a decade of sanctions that pummeled the economy, though he later returned to power and remains in charge today.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Raman and three other council members initially voted against the delay, but Raman later supported it in a City Council vote, saying it provided “greater fiscal certainty” for the city.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Northern Ireland's five largest teaching unions have voted to strike if the Department of Education does not address grievances over workload.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

The president himself has voted by mail multiple times.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

But the House voted 36 to 13 against his motion.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

The bill also contains measures to change the voting system, including extending the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

“People will say kids these days don’t care about anything, they’re not passionate about anything, they’re not voting enough,” McPhail said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

“The consumer is telling us, they’re voting with their dollar,” Fields said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

She also confronted the practical consequences of putting a new federal voting regime into place weeks before an election.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

After I finished voting, I returned to my car and got stuck at a red light next to a rowdy group of Iranian protesters and shah supporters.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

• choose
• declare
• determine
• elect
• enact
• establish
• grant
• propose
• recommend
• return