election

American  

[ih-lek-shuhn] / ɪˈlɛk ʃən /

noun

• elections
  plural

1. the selection of a person or persons for office by vote.

   In 2018, elections for governors were held in 36 states.

2. the status of being or having been elected.

   his fading chances for election;

   the international coverage of her election.

3. a public vote upon a proposition submitted.

   The official results of today’s election regarding use of public lands will not be reported any earlier than tomorrow.

4. the act of electing.

   There is no evidence to suggest violation of the rules of election.

5. Theology. the choice by God of individuals, as for a particular work or for favor or salvation.

   Election is not a hidden decree, but the decree revealed in Christ.

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election British  

/ ɪˈlɛkʃən /

noun

1. the selection by vote of a person or persons from among candidates for a position, esp a political office

2. a public vote on an official proposition

3. the act or an instance of choosing

4. Christianity

   1. the doctrine of Calvin that God chooses certain individuals for salvation without reference to their faith or works

   2. the doctrine of Arminius and others that God chooses for salvation those who, by grace, persevere in faith and works

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonelection
  noun
• reelection
  noun
• self-election
  noun
• subelection
  noun
• interelection
  adjective
• postelection
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• elections
  plural

Etymology

Origin of election

First recorded in 1225–75; from Latin ēlēctiōn- (stem of ēlēctiō ), equivalent to ēlēct(us) ( see elect) + -iōn- noun suffix ( see -ion); replacing Middle English eleccioun, from Anglo-French

Explanation

An election is a vote to decide who will hold a political office. Every four years, there is the election of a new U.S. President. If you have been following politics for long, you'll hear about plenty of elections: votes held every few years for political office. Mayors, governors, judges, and the President are all put in office by elections. You can also speak of the election of a winner: for example, "Her election was close." An election can also mean any kind of choice, such as "his election to move to Vermont." All the meanings of this word have to do with exercising choice.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

election elections

When he overthrew President Alpha Condé, Doumbouya said he would not seek election and would hand over to civilian rule.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

The race immediately became a test of whether Trump’s backing could help Graham, a political neophyte known to voters only because of her last name, win a primary election in the deep-red state.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

We’ll see what the justices say, but at least it seems likely that this embarrassing chapter of California election history will end in favor of the law, and democracy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

Replacing Trudeau as leader of his party and the government in March 2025, he won a general election a month later, to everyone's surprise.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

The way to do this was first to win one of the few scholarships available to an undergraduate and then to gain election, after a few years, to a Fellowship of the college.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Earlier this spring, the county released the findings of two personnel investigations into Curtis’ conduct that were spurred by concerns raised by elections employees and their union representatives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Security and the economy are set to feature heavily in Nigeria's January elections, where President Bola Tinubu is seeking a second term.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

But Purcell isn’t the only systems failure that has colored Supreme Court elections cases of late.

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

We trust they’ll want to protect the authority of the states to control their elections.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

But as many will hasten to emphasize, it is not just the big elections that matter.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• appointment
• ballot
• balloting
• decision
• poll
• primary
• referendum
• selection