election
Americannoun
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elections
plural
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the selection of a person or persons for office by vote.
In 2018, elections for governors were held in 36 states.
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the status of being or having been elected.
his fading chances for election;
the international coverage of her election.
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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.
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the act of electing.
There is no evidence to suggest violation of the rules of election.
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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.
noun
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the selection by vote of a person or persons from among candidates for a position, esp a political office
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a public vote on an official proposition
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the act or an instance of choosing
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Christianity
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the doctrine of Calvin that God chooses certain individuals for salvation without reference to their faith or works
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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
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nonelectionnoun
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reelectionnoun
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self-electionnoun
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subelectionnoun
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interelectionadjective
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postelectionadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing election
Election Lingo
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"The Civil Rights Movement"
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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In addition to her winning the gubernatorial election, several other indicators suggest that Texas may be ready for Hinojosa’s gradualist approach to limiting capital punishment.
From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026
The American Arbitration Assn. administered an election after a majority of the group signed union cards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
Affidavit ballots are ones that were not immediately accepted because of a discrepancy such as lacking proper ID on election day.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
Shares of HCA Healthcare, Universal Health Services and Tenet Healthcare are all up sharply since the election.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
Yet he wasn't prepared for what greeted him as soon as he won the election.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Spaniards are due to vote in parliamentary elections on 29 November.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
Energy prices have fallen since the results of U.S. elections last week were interpreted as increasing the likelihood of a peace deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
The Caribbean island nation is set to hold elections in July and October next year, marking its first polls in more than a decade.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
But that was before last week’s midterm elections.
From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2026
Some of them are for candidates in local elections.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
