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

"Some sort of re-wilding because of its setting would be lovely...whether it's integrated with a golf course or change of use, it's an open canvass and it's a once in a generation opportunity."

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Dimon told JPMorgan bankers late last summer to canvass clients who might be receptive to taking money from the government in “public-private partnerships” like the MP Materials deal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 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

Police could canvass neighborhoods, interview witnesses, check traffic cameras, maybe pull hotel records or receipts.

From Slate ● May 20, 2026

Cora made a canvass of the village: Not a soul.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

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

“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

As mayor, Balen canvasses large swaths of the city every day to assess the status of his engineering projects.

From New York Times ● May 12, 2023

These canvasses are extended on frames, which can be raised or lowered by means of a winch to suit Mr. Craven’s convenience.

From The Idler Magazine, Volume III, March 1893 An Illustrated Monthly by Various

North Hollywood canvassed around 50 businesses to try to find surveillance footage and investigative leads, police said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 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

Only a net 17% of asset managers now expect lower policy rates from central banks whereas that figure was 46% when they were canvassed in February.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 17, 2026

The Home Office said the tender for the new exam system had canvassed the market to understand what capabilities was available to meet the highest standards of security - including the risk of fraud.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026

Therefore she decided to take Milo out behind the tennis courts to the ravine, since it had been canvassed days before and was, besides, a spot of which the dog was especially fond.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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

When canvassing, they say, their aim isn’t merely to knock on every door in a given neighborhood—but to do so four times.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

For example, the Park campaign was able to recruit around 1,000 volunteers by the end of the campaign, which represents a solid base of support for canvassing and other activities.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

All this, of course, assumes both a successful round of peace talks between Washington and Tehran, and buy-in from Republican lawmakers who face a difficult reelection landscape when midterm canvassing begins in early September.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

Malcolm X followers had been canvassing with growing anxiety for a Harlem church that would accept the Saturday funeral.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• agitate
• consult
• inspect
• scrutinize
• solicit