election

American  

[ih-lek-shuhn] / ɪˈlɛk ʃən /

noun

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

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

Etymology

Origin of election

First recorded in 1225–75; from Latin ēlēctiōn- (stem of ēlēctiō ), equivalent to ēlēct(us) ( elect ) + -iōn- noun suffix ( -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

In 2016, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, taking inspiration and personnel from Barack Obama’s two election wins, was a data-heavy enterprise that relied on analytics — and, famously, an algorithm named Ada.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has put improving the NHS at the centre of his pitch to voters ahead of next month's Holyrood election.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Hungarian assets rallied amid losses elsewhere in Europe following the election win of Peter Magyar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

But election day saw more chaos in Lima, where missing election materials meant about 100 polling centers were unable to open on time and 63,000 people were prevented from voting at all.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

“So, during this election season, we’re rebranding. I’ll be War Lord Tano—God of the Tano River, with a side hustle as the Lord of War.”

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

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