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elector

American  
[ih-lek-ter] / ɪˈlɛk tər /

noun

  1. a person who elects or may elect, especially a qualified voter.

  2. a member of the Electoral College of the U.S.

  3. (usually initial capital letter) one of the German princes entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.


elector British  
/ ɪˈlɛktə /

noun

  1. someone who is eligible to vote in the election of a government

  2. (often capital) a member of the US electoral college

  3. (often capital) (in the Holy Roman Empire) any of the German princes entitled to take part in the election of a new emperor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • electorship noun
  • nonelector noun

Etymology

Origin of elector

1425–75; late Middle English electo ( u ) r < Late Latin ēlēctor chooser, equivalent to eleg-, variant stem of ēligere ( see elect) + -tor -tor

Vocabulary lists containing elector

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.

He is one of three ecclesiastical staff allowed to stay in the Sistine Chapel despite not being a cardinal elector, even though they will have to leave the premises during the counting of the votes.

From BBC • May 6, 2025

Xiomara Flores-Holguin was an elector Tuesday and top volunteer for Democrat George Whitesides’ congressional campaign.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2024

A lone faithless elector in Washington state made it a three-way race by voting for Ronald Reagan.

From Slate • Aug. 9, 2024

“The only way a person could determine an elector’s ordinal position is by personally observing that elector cast his or her ballot.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2024

On 5 September he managed to get hold of a telescope Galileo had sent to the elector of Cologne, and finally he saw for himself.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton